Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children: characteristics and proper interpretation

Abstract:

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has become an unavoidable method in everyday clinical work. In children and adolescents, ABPM has better reproducibility compared with measurements at home and at the doctor’s office, as well as a more reliable predictive value in evaluating target organs damage. Referent values obtained from the German Paediatric Hypertension Workgroup are still considered to be the most appropriate. The 2014 American Heart Association (AHA) classification is a currently valid classification of continuous blood pressure measurement in children. ABPM is particularly important for diagnosing so-called ‚white coat hypertension‘ and masked hypertension, since both entities may lead to the development of permanent hypertension. 

Key words:
ambulatory blood pressure; ABPM; children; hypertension