HEIGHTS, WEIGHTS, BLOOD PRESSURE, PULSE, BODY SURFACE AREA, RESPIRATORY RATES IN NIGERIAN PUPILS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE
ABSTRACT
In this piece of work, definite relationship exists between groups of the parameters studied.
There was a definite increase in systolic blood pressure as height, weight and body surface area increases.
Also there was decrease in pulse rate as height, Weight and body surface area increased although there were some minor disparities.
It was also noticed that Respiratory rate decreases as Height. Weight and body surface area increased although some discrepancies existed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Although the relationship between the parameters in the topic above nave not been extensively studied in Nigeria children of primary school age, there is every like hood, that there exist certain relationship between groups of parameters to be studied in this project.
It is known that there is a characteristic variation in blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate as a child grows older and these parameters are definitely affected by age, height, sex, and weight and body surface area of the child.
Blood pressure as defined in Gould Medical dictionary is the pressure exerted by the circulating blood on the walls of the vessels or the heart especially the arterial pressure as measured by the sphygmomanometer.
The use of the sphygmomanometer in the measurement of blood pressure is an indirect method. The procedure of choice is the auscultatory Riva Rocci method, utilizing the appearance and disappearance of the Korotkov sounds. In principle, a cuff around the forearm is rapidly inflated beyond the systolic pressure level, then slowly deflated. The first sounds over the cubital artery using stethoscope signal the systolic pressure (ps). With further Cuff deflation the sound suddenly become muffled and usually disappear within a few mm Hg. Directly pressure recording indicate that the sudden decrease of the Korokow sounds best corresponds to the diastolic pressure (pd).
Blood pressures are determined by certain factors such as the cardiac output and the total peripheral resistance. Thus any change in the Cardiac output or in the total peripheral resistance will affect blood pressure include age, sex, height, weight body surface area etc. thus any change in any of these parameters will definitely affect blood pressure.
