Introduction: Blood pressure measurement (BPM) is a recommended practice at least once a year for all of healthy children starting from 3 years old and before that age in population at risk. Pediatricians fulfilling of this recommendation is irregular. Objective. Identify the prevalence of records of BPM in a pediatric electronic health record (EHR) in patients from 3 to 20 years of age and the prevalence of records of hypertension (HBP) and prehypertension (preHBP) according to sex, age and percentile of height.
Population, material and methods: A cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted. 8140 patients from 3 to 20 years of age seen by their primary care physician at least in one opportunity between January and June 2005 were evaluated. Hypertension, prehypertension and normal BP was defined based on the recommendation published in Pediatrics 2004 Aug; 114: 555-76.
Results: 2.723 of the 8.140 patients had BP registered in the EHR (33.4%), 76% of the records were of normal BP, 17% of preHBP and 7% of HBP. The percentage of preHBP was significantly higher in males (21.7% vs. 13.4%) OR: 1.6 (IC 95% 1.3-1.9), but not in HBP (7.4% vs. 6.8%). 50% of the pediatricians registered 9% or less of their patients BP.
Conclusions: The prevalence of BPM was a third; there is a need of generating actions that stimulate this practice.