Pedemy All toolsSwitch sex, slide age and height: the AAP percentile values update instantly. Enter a reading to classify it.
This calculator shows AAP 2017 blood pressure percentile values for children and adolescents aged 1 to 17 years, and classifies a measured reading. It is for clinicians screening for high blood pressure in clinic or hospital.
You choose sex, then move sliders for age and height percentile (5th to 95th). The tool displays the systolic and diastolic 50th, 90th and 95th percentiles and the 95th + 12 mm Hg value from the guideline tables. A reading is classed as normal, elevated, stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. Under 13 years, the percentile cut-offs are capped at 120/80, 130/80 and 140/90, whichever is lower. From 13 years, adult cut-offs apply: 120/<80 elevated, 130/80 stage 1 and 140/90 stage 2. Readings over 30 mm Hg above the 95th percentile (over 180/120 in adolescents), or stage 2 with symptoms, are flagged as an emergency.
The result lists next steps by category from AAP Table 11, such as repeat timing, upper and lower limb readings and ambulatory BP monitoring. For stage 1 and 2 it adds first-line medicines (lisinopril, losartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide) with starting doses from Table 18. It is based on the 2017 AAP clinical practice guideline (Flynn et al., Pediatrics 2017).
Under 13 years, stage 1 starts at the 95th percentile for age, sex and height, or 130/80 if lower. Stage 2 starts at the 95th percentile + 12 mm Hg, or 140/90 if lower. From 13 years, stage 1 is 130/80 and stage 2 is 140/90.
For adolescents aged 13 years and older, this tool uses adult cut-offs: elevated blood pressure is a systolic of 120 or more with a diastolic under 80.
One high reading is not hypertension. The tool notes that high readings are needed on 3 separate visits, high oscillometric readings should be confirmed by auscultation, and ambulatory BP monitoring is used where indicated.
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