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.