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Consistency of Blood Pressure Measurement Methods in Atrial Fibrillation
Shadi Mostafavi1, Majid Haji Karimi2, Ali Pazoki2
1Clinical Research Development Unit of Advanced Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
Insights
Blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation patients shows a significant difference between oscillometric and auscultatory methods, particularly for systolic readings. This impacts hypertension diagnosis and treatment reliability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Hypertension Management
Background:
- Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is vital for hypertension management in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.
- The agreement between oscillometric and auscultatory BP measurement methods in AF patients is not well-established.
- This study investigates BP measurement consistency in AF patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and agreement of oscillometric versus auscultatory BP measurement techniques.
- To identify potential discrepancies in BP readings between the two methods in patients with atrial fibrillation.
- To inform clinical practice regarding BP monitoring in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 100 patients with atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm.
- Blood pressure was measured three times using both the auscultatory (Korotkoff sounds) and oscillometric methods.
- Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, with P-values < 0.05 considered significant.
Main Results:
- A significant difference was observed in systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements between the two methods in AF patients (P=0.003).
- Mean SBP by oscillometric method: 127.29±21.51 mmHg (AF group); by auscultatory method: 131.07±23.72 mmHg (AF group).
- The discrepancy between methods was significant for heart rates of 80 bpm and higher (P=0.017).
Conclusions:
- While a significant correlation exists between oscillometric and auscultatory BP measurements in AF patients, a notable difference in SBP was found.
- The findings highlight potential variability in BP assessment for atrial fibrillation patients.
- Further research may be needed to refine BP measurement protocols for this demographic.
Background:
Ensuring precise measurement of blood pressure (BP) is crucial for effectively diagnosing and treating hypertension in atrial fibrillation patients. However, the reliability and agreement between the two commonly utilized techniques, oscillometric and auscultatory methods, remain unclear in these individuals. This study seeks to bridge this gap by examining the consistency of BP measurements using these methods in atrial fibrillation patients.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 100 patients with atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm. BP was measured using both methods (three times with each method): 1) the auscultatory method based on Korotkoff sounds and 2) the oscillometric method. The SPSS version 25 software was used for data analysis. In all steps, P-values < 0.05 are considered significant.
Results:
The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured by the oscillometric method was 116.38±16.73 mmHg in the sinus group and 127.29±21.51 mmHg in the atrial fibrillation (AF) group. In contrast, the mean by the auscultatory method was 116.18 ±15.46 mmHg in the Sinus rhythm group and 131.07±23.72 mmHg in the AF group (respectively P=0.006, P<0.001). This study shows a significant difference in the SBP measured using the two methods in patients with AF (P=0.003). We also found that the significant difference between the two methods only applies to heart rates of 80 beats per minute and higher (P=0.017).
Conclusion:
The findings of this study indicated that although there is a significant correlation between oscillometric and auscultatory methods for assessing blood pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation, a significant difference was observed in the measurement of systolic blood pressure.
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