Comparison of two automatic devices and the standard mercury sphygmomanometer in hypertensive patients

The standard mercury sphygmomanometer (SMS) and two automatic blood pressure recording devices, Dinamap 845 (D) and Sentron (S), were compared by means of a randomized 3-period cross-over experiment. Both devices recorded diastolic BP lower than SMS, on average and for most individual patients. Systolic BP was similar for SMS and S, and slightly lower for D, with variations for individual patients. A second study failed to detect effects of the physician's presence when BP was measured, whereas the difference between D and SMS was substantially confirmed.