Abstract
Objectives:
To identify the immediate and middle-term effects of the right carotid sinus compression technique on blood pressure and heart rate in hypertensive patients.
Design:
Randomized blinded experimental study.
Settings:
Primary health centers of Cáceres (Spain).
Subjects:
Sixty-four medicated patients with hypertension were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 33) or to a control group (n = 31).
Intervention:
In the intervention group a compression of the right carotid sinus was applied for 20 sec. In the control group, a placebo technique of placing hands on the radial styloid processes was performed.
Outcome measures:
Blood pressure and heart rate were measured in both groups before the intervention (preintervention), immediately after the intervention, 5 min after the intervention, and 60 min after the intervention.
Results:
The intervention group significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate immediately after the intervention, with a large clinical effect; systolic blood pressure remained reduced 5 min after the intervention, and heart rate remained reduced 60 min after the intervention. No significant changes were observed in the control group.
Conclusions:
Right carotid sinus compression could be clinically useful for regulating acute hypertension.
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