RT Journal
A1 de Ferranti SD, Gillman MW
T1 HYpertension in children and adolescents—more questions than answers
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2012
FD September 1
VO 166
IS 9
SP 872
OP 874
DO 10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.1503
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.1503
AB 
In 2011, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents reiterated the recommendations in the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents published in 2004.1- 2 These guidelines recommend universal blood pressure screening in pediatric practice starting at age 3 years. If an initial blood pressure (BP) reading exceeds the 90th percentile for age, sex, and height, the practitioner is to repeat the measurement, preferably at least twice on separate occasions. Then he or she can categorize the patient into prehypertensive (90th to 95th percentile), stage 1 hypertension (95th percentile to 5 mm Hg above the 99thpercentile), or stage 2 hypertension (above that high cutpoint). For stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension, the guidelines recommend evaluation with renal and cardiac ultrasound, along with additional laboratory tests.