The use of automatic blood pressure monitors in the burned patient

Oscillometric automatic blood pressure monitors are now commonly used in theatres and intensive care units. An experimental model has been used to assess the accuracy of these machines when measurements are made from a proximal limb cuff applied over bulky bandages, as is commonly found in burned patients. This study suggests that monitoring arterial blood pressure under these circumstances is sufficiently accurate to make automatic monitoring useful as an adjunct to burns management. This would allow blood pressure measurement where it would otherwise be impossible without invasive techniques.