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Interarm differences in blood pressure should be determined by measuring both arms simultaneously with an automatic
Friedrich W Lohmann1, Siegfried Eckert, Willem J Verberk
1Departments of Internal Medicine, Charité University Medicine and Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
|February 2, 2011
Summary
Simultaneous automatic measurement (SAM) of blood pressure offers more accurate and reproducible interarm differences (IAD) compared to conventional measurement (CM). This method is recommended for better clinical assessment of IAD.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Clinical Measurement Science
Background:
- Accurate assessment of interarm blood pressure difference (IAD) is crucial for cardiovascular risk stratification.
- Conventional measurement (CM) methods may introduce variability in IAD assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy and reproducibility of simultaneous automatic measurement (SAM) versus conventional measurement (CM) for screening interarm blood pressure differences.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 118 patients with cardiovascular risk factors compared CM using an aneroid manometer with SAM using a validated automatic device with dual cuffs.
- Measurements were taken in a sitting position, with SAM performed three times for each patient.
Main Results:
- The average absolute IAD was significantly lower with SAM (3.7-3.8 mmHg) compared to CM (4.9 mmHg).
- Standard deviations of IADs were also significantly smaller for SAM, indicating greater reproducibility.
- Significant blood pressure discrepancies (>20 mmHg systolic or >10 mmHg diastolic) were less frequent with SAM (3-5%) than CM (9%).
Conclusions:
- Simultaneous automatic measurement (SAM) provides smaller and more reproducible interarm blood pressure differences than conventional measurement (CM).
- SAM is likely to offer a more accurate estimation of a patient's true interarm blood pressure difference.
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