Simultaneous comparison of intraarterial, oscillometric, and finapres monitoring during anesthesia

In 30 patients (15 with normal peripheral vascular status and 15 with peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, or a heavy smoking history), systolic, mean, and diastolic arterial pressures were recorded simultaneously every 5 min using a radial arterial catheter, an oscillometric arm cuff, and a Finapres finger cuff during 1-6 h of anesthesia and operation. The average accuracy of oscillometric and Finapres pressure measurements was good. Comparisons of arterial, oscillometric, and Finapres pressures showed only a small bias in the oscillometric and Finapres pressure estimations. Finapres pressures underestimated arterial pressures by 1 mm Hg more than oscillometric pressures did. Peripheral vascular status had no effect on comparisons made between pressures measured with these two techniques. Although bias was small, precision was often lacking as shown by the large variability of the difference between individual values from the three monitors. However, the precision of Finapres pressure measurements was about the same order of magnitude as that of oscillometric measurements.