Title: Pay Attention to the Diastolic Blood Pressure<br/>Author: Mike Winters<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/141/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
<strong><u>Diastolic Blood Pressure</u></strong></p>
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The diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is determined by vascular tone and remains relativley constant throughout the arterial system.</li>
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A low DBP (< 50 mm Hg) suggests vasodilation and may be associated with an increased risk of myocardial ischemia and left ventricular dysfunction.</li>
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In a recent trial, Ospina-Tascon and colleagues described the diastolic shock index (heart rate/DBP) and found that a DSI > 2.2 was associated with higher mortality in patients with septic shock.</li>
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<strong>Take Home Point</strong>: pay attention to the DBP and, when low, consider initiation of vasopressors concomitant with fluid resuscitation.</li>
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<fieldset><legend>References</legend>
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Hernandez G, et al. Invasive arterial pressure monitoring: much more than mean arterial pressure! <em>Intensive Care Med</em>. 2022. Published online ahead of print.</p>
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