Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is useful for:
- Excluding white coat hypertension in patients who are resistant to control or who are initiating therapy
- Diagnosis of reversed diurnal variation in patients with autonomic failure or postural hypotension
- Monitoring control in high-risk patients e.g. diabetes with complications, renal failure, heart failure.
Autonomic function testing
Autonomic failure is a common complication of diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
However, it also occurs idiopathically - and is the most common cause for postural blood pressure drops in the elderly.
Judicious manipulation of nocturnal anti-hypertensive therapy and pharmacological measures to increase blood pressure can provide symptom control to most patients.
Dr Chris O'Callaghan is happy to further discuss this complicated area with you.
Emai: christopher.o'callaghan@austin.org.au
Drug approval
The Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics is actively involved in providing expertise in drug utilisation and off-label/high cost individual patient drug usage.
Members of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology sit on various hospital committees including the Medication Management Commitee and the Drug & Therapeutics Committee.
