Can someone explain the different heart/blood pressures (e.g. MAP vs PAP)

[mac_kin]

I'm slightly confused as to what the different pressures mean. I understand what they are and how they are measured clinically, but I'm having trouble understanding what this tells me.

For instance, why measure the pulmonary artery pressure? and why measure the arterial pressure? and mean arterial pressure?

***This may be stupid but what is the clinical difference between measuring blood pressure manually with the cuff/stethoscope vs the arterial value from the arterial line? ICU monitors show both, so which is more reliable and why are both measured?

Any help would be appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

I'm slightly confused as to what the different pressures mean. I understand what they are and how they are measured clinically, but I'm having trouble understanding what this tells me.

For instance, why measure the pulmonary artery pressure? and why measure the arterial pressure? and mean arterial pressure?

***This may be stupid but what is the clinical difference between measuring blood pressure manually with the cuff/stethoscope vs the arterial value from the arterial line? ICU monitors show both, so which is more reliable and why are both measured?

Any help would be appreciated!

Quick answer on that last is an a-line is more accurate, as it bypasses confounding factors such as cuff size and atherosclerotic disease. MAP is useful in determining systemic end-organ perfusion pressure; basically if your MAP is below x (55-65 depending on who you ask) you can be fairly certain you're not getting adequate blood supply to your kidneys for example.

Pulmonary artery pressure is just what it sounds like. The significance of it is more time than I've got, but look up terms like pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, right heart failure to get a good start.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

well you wouldnt want the PAP to be too high since the lungs are rather delicate..the capillaries and such. This could impede O2 saturation and cause a number of other symptoms (not sure what, havent learned it yet)

Also the MAP needs to be high enough to provide adequate blood flow to your organs. And I think arterial pressure=s normal blood pressure? yes, so low BP would signal a hemmorhage somewhere and we all know the effects of HTN.

 

[njbmd]

Any ICU textbook will give you these answers. This is not a homework website.