We review a lot of surgical malpractice cases and one of the items we look at closely is the intra-operative and post-operative blood pressure readings. Blood pressure is a measurement of the “pressure” being exerted on the walls of the blood vessels as the blood passes through the vessel. There is a “normal range” for blood pressures but individuals can routinely run slightly high or low pressure readings.
Low blood pressure can be a sign of internal bleeding…reduced pressure on vessel walls is often explained by a reduced volume of blood moving through the vessel. As an side note, doctor’s often try to artificially raise a patient’s blood pressure by administering fluids, like saline solution. So, if a patient is getting IV solutions and still has a low blood pressure the suspicion of internal bleeding should be high on the doctor’s list of potential problems.