Oscillometric blood pressure measurements by different devices are not interchangeable

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Clinical Measurement
• Cardiovascular Monitoring

Background:

• Noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitoring is crucial in patient care.
• Oscillometric devices from different manufacturers are widely used.
• The interchangeability of NIBP readings across brands has not been consistently established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the concordance of blood pressure (BP) measurements between different NIBP devices.
• To assess if readings from SpaceLabs (SpL) and Marquette (Marq) devices are interchangeable with Dinamap (DIN).

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous BP measurements were taken on opposite arms of 25 patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
• Devices used included SpL, Marq, and Dinamap 1846SX (DIN).
• Bland-Altman plots and American Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines were used for agreement analysis.

Main Results:

• Dinamap devices showed high reproducibility (SDD: SBP 7 mm Hg, DBP 6.3 mm Hg).
• SpL vs. DIN showed higher variability (SDD: SBP 9.1 mm Hg, DBP 8.3 mm Hg) with significant mean differences.
• Marq vs. DIN also showed high variability (SDD: SBP 11.8 mm Hg, DBP 9.7 mm Hg).
• Systolic BP differences exceeding 10 mm Hg occurred in 31% (SpL vs. DIN) and 32% (Marq vs. DIN) of observations, surpassing AAMI guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Measurements from SpL and Marq NIBP devices are not interchangeable with Dinamap devices.
• Significant variability in BP readings exists between different oscillometric monitors.
• Clinical decisions should consider potential inaccuracies when using NIBP devices from different brands.