Abstract
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, presented the necessary conditions for blood pressure (BP) measurement in medical examination institutions in April 2019. They are as follows; to set a minimum of 5 minutes resting time in a sitting position, to avoid exercise, food, smoking and conversation, to measure at least twice with at least a one minute interval between measurements, and to add further measurements if the difference between the measurements was greater than 5mmHg. To meet these conditions is not easy in medical examination institutions which examine many people in a short period of time.
To clarify the present situation, we sent questionnaires to 48 medical examination institutions and received answers from 32. Resting time was set in 10 (31.3%) centers. However the length of resting time was not set in half the centers. Measurements were made by medical staff in all the institutions, mostly by only a nurse (71.9%). Self-measurement by the patient was not done. Only in 6 (18.8%) centers were two measurements done routinely. In 22 (68.8%) institutions, a second measurement was taken only when the first value was high. In only 10 (31.3%) institutions were average values used as BP value. In 11 (34.4%) institutions, the lower value was used. Among the 32 institutions, in which second measurements were taken, the interval between measurements was set in 23 (71.9%). The length of the interval was one to two minutes in 2 (8.7%), and not determined in 19 (82.6%) institutions. Conversation during the measurement was prohibited in 28 (87.5%) centers. Deep breathing, which decreases BP was recommended in 24 (75.0%) institutions. To meet the necessary conditions was very difficult in most of the medical examination institutions.
