Diagnosis of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents

Objective: To carry out an integrative review on the topic of hypertension diagnosis in children and adolescents and their recommendations.

Methodology: This is a study with data collection performed from secondary sources, through a bibliographic survey to identify studies on the diagnosis of hypertension in children and adolescents. The integrative literature review was adopted. Fifteen studies were analyzed, of which 7 were in the English language and 8 in Portuguese. Among the studies, the guidelines and guidelines for hypertension in Portugal, Brazil, the United States, Canada and Europe were analyzed. It was identified that the predominant type of study was the transversal one, besides the literature review. Regarding the year of publication, articles from 2005 to 2018 were used.

Results: The results showed that for an adequate measure of BP in children, a quiet environment, an appropriate cuff, and technical knowledge are important. In addition, guidelines have shown that for diagnosis of target organ damage and concomitant clinical diseases, a BP measurement, medical history, including family history, physical examination, laboratory investigations, and other diagnostic tests is required.

Conclusion: It is difficult to use screening to predict which children and adolescents will have high blood pressure as adults, there is limited information on blood pressure cuff accuracy in the diagnosis of hypertension in children and adolescents, and evidence of inappropriate use, incorrect calibration, or lack of this material in outpatient clinics.