Influence of head and/or back of bed elevation to blood pressure fluctuation

Abstract

: To clarify how an elevation of the head and/or back of the bed affects blood pressure fluctuation, we measured the change in blood pressure at different degrees of headrest and backrest elevation. Randomized crossover trial was conducted with 9 healthy volunteers. Blood pressure (BP) was continuously monitored via a cuff attached to the middle finger of the right hand. BP was measured in the following 3 positions: ① headrest elevation of 0 ° and backrest elevation of 30 ° , ② headrest elevation of 20 ° and backrest elevation of 30 ° , and ③ headrest elevation of 0 ° and backrest elevation of 50 ° . At any position, temporary blood pressure reduction was observed. Furthermore, the change in BP was much greater during backrest elevation of 50 ° than during backrest elevation of 30 ° . On the other hand, headrest elevation of 20 ° did not affect blood pressure fluctuation. These results suggested that the degree of backrest elevation affects blood pressure fluctuation.