PSEUDOHYPERTENSION IN ELDERLY HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

The purpose of this study is to determine prevalence of pseudohypertension in elderly patients with hypertension by using intra-arterial blood pressure measurement and to evaluate sensitivity and specifity of Osier's maneuver. In this study indirect (cuff) and direct (intra-arterial) blood pressures were measured in seventeen hypertensive elderly patients over 55- year-old at emergency department. Osier's test was carried out. Six patients had systolic pseudohypertension and five of these had positive Osier's test. Eight patients had diastolic pseudohypertension. Three patients had both systolic and diastolic pseudohypertension. Osier's test was negative in patients without pseudohypertension. The specifity and sensivity of Osier's test in systolic pseudohypertension were 90% and 83% respectively. These results suggest that the incidance of pseudohypertension in elderly patient with hypertension is very high. Osier's test is reliable in diagnosis of systolic pseudohypertension.