Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Program

The Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) provides 24-hour ABPM studies to patients who have or are suspected to have hypertension (high blood pressure). Our Division of Nephrology has a dedicated ABPM team with a high level of expertise in blood pressure evaluation and management. We oversee a high volume of these studies each year. 

What patients get ABPM studies?  

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is offered to all children aged 5 or older where hypertension is suspected, or where proper control of hypertension needs to be monitored. Children may have either primary hypertension, or they may have secondary causes of hypertension, such as:  

• Corotation of aorta
• Kidney disease
• Renal artery stenosis
• Solid organ transplant
• Endocrine disorders (e.g., hyperthyroidism)

How does ambulatory blood pressure monitoring work? 

If the Nephrology provider orders a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring study for your child, our ABPM coordinator will contact you to review the instructions and schedule a date for your child to complete the study. A kit will either be mailed to your family’s home or placed on your child during an appointment in our Nephrology Clinic at the Buerger Center.

Your child will wear the blood pressure monitor for 24 consecutive hours. The device will take automatic readings of their blood pressure every 20 minutes during the day, and every 30 minutes at night.

These readings help your child’s Nephrology provider get an accurate picture of your child’s blood pressure at home during both day and night, which cannot be done during a single clinic visit. During the study, your child can do their normal activities, but they must avoid sports, strenuous activities and video games.

Your family will receive a prepaid UPS box to return the device once the study is complete. Study results help your child’s Nephrology provider determine the next steps in your child’s treatment.

Watch: Completing a 24-hour Blood Pressure Study with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor

About our team

Our dedicated ABPM team includes our coordinator and nurses who set up the studies and our Nephrologists and Advanced Practice Providers who have a high level of expertise in blood pressure evaluation and management and interpret the study results.

Specific team members include:

Joann Panus, RN
Alicia Sias, RN
Christine Thames, RN
Claudia Szczepanek, RN
Elle Del Vecchio, RN