These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: The Mentakab Hypertension Study Project. Part III--Detection of hypertension in the outpatient department.
    Author: Lim TO, Ngah BA.
    Journal: Singapore Med J; 1991 Oct; 32(5):338-41. PubMed ID: 1788580.
    Abstract:
    Undetected hypertension is an obstacle to effective blood pressure control in the community. A study was done to assess the justification of screening in the outpatient department. Only 13% of all visits to the outpatient department resulted in an attempt to detect hypertension. The common reasons leading to blood pressure measurement were headache and dizziness. Current practice of hypertension detection appeared inadequate and irrational. Nine per cent of all visits to the outpatient department were already accounted for by hypertensives. A screening survey found that 30% of all non-hypertensive patients attending outpatient department aged 30 years or more had blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg. The drop out rate among these newly diagnosed hypertensives was 100%. Existing resources are already inadequate and existing hypertension care has also been shown to be inadequate. Screening can only be expected to considerably increase hypertensive patient load without however any assurance that effective long term care can be delivered. Labelling people as hypertensives in this manner may be harmful. The question of screening cannot be considered individually, separate from the entire problem of hypertension control. Detection must be linked to treatment in a programme designed to promote compliance and capable of delivering adequate care before it can be justified.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]