The importance of accurately assessing orthostatic hypotension.

Potential adverse outcomes of orthostatic hypotension (OH) range from mild symptoms of dizziness to more severe consequences of falls, fractures, and immobility. OH can be a significant problem among patients who use psychotropic medications. Clinical practitioners have observed that OH assessment among patients receiving psychotropic medications is often overlooked or inaccurate. This article addresses two areas critical to the development of a clinical standard for measuring orthostatic blood pressure: a review of procedural inconsistencies regarding OH assessment and recommendations for obtaining accurate orthostatic measurements.