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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Simultaneous Electrocardiography Recording and Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement in Rats
Published on: January 31, 2019
Agreement between directly measured blood pressure and pressures obtained with three veterinary-specific
Mark J Acierno1, Diana Seaton, Mark A Mitchell
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. macierno@vetmed.lsu.edu
Objective:
To determine whether veterinary-specific oscillometric blood pressure units yield measurements that are in good agreement with directly measured blood pressures in cats.
Design:
Evaluation study.
Animals:
21 cats undergoing routine spaying or neutering.
Procedures:
A 24-gauge catheter was inserted in a dorsal pedal artery, and systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures were directly measured with a validated pressure measurement system. Values were compared with indirect blood pressure measurements obtained with 3 veterinary-specific oscillometric blood pressure units.
Results:
There was poor agreement between indirectly and directly measured blood pressures. For unit 1, bias between indirectly and directly measured values was -14.9 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement [LOA], -52.2 to 22.4 mm Hg), 4.4 mm Hg (95% LOA, -26.0 to 34.8 mm Hg), and -1.3 mm Hg (95% LOA, -26.7 to 24.1 mm Hg) for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures, respectively. For unit 2, bias was -10.3 mm Hg (95% LOA, -52.9 to 32.2 mm Hg), 13.0 mm Hg (95% LOA, -32.1 to 58.0 mm Hg), and 9.1 mm Hg (95% LOA, -32.9 to 51.2 mm Hg) for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures, respectively. For unit 3, bias was -13.4 mm Hg (95% LOA, -51.8 to 25.1 mm Hg), 8.0 mm Hg (95% LOA, -25.5 to 41.6 mm Hg), and -3.6 mm Hg (95% LOA, -31.6 to 24.5 mm Hg) for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures, respectively.
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
Results suggested that none of the 3 veterinary-specific oscillometric blood pressure units could be recommended for indirect measurement of blood pressure in cats.
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