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Hypertension in children should be identified before symptoms or end-organ effects occur, and ambulatory care visits are recommended as potential opportunities to screen for hypertension. Investigators in Montreal evaluated the accuracy of routine blood pressure (BP) screening at triage during nonurgent emergency department (ED) visits in 549 children (age range, 3–18 years).
BP was measured using an automated machine. Children with systolic or diastolic BP above the 95th percentile for age, sex, and height who agreed to further assessment underwent manual BP measurement by a study investigator. Those with an elevated manual BP were asked to return in 4 weeks and again after another 2 months if BP remained elevated. Children with three eleva…