Blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy. Accuracy of portable devices designed for obese patients
Schwartz, W.J.; Rayburn, W.F.; Turnbull, G.L.; Christensen, H.D.
Journal of Reproductive Medicine 41(8): 581-585
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0024-7758 PMID: 8866385 Document Number: 459914
OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of three commercially available blood pressure monitoring devices having cuffs placed at different anatomic sites on obese pregnant women with large arms. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-five obese pregnancy women (body mass index gt 27.3) were eligible for participation; each had an upper arm circumferences gt 35 cm. The three different portable devices compared had cuffs that fit easily around either the index finger, wrist or large arm. Two recordings using each device were compared with those obtained simultaneously using a well-calibrated monitor. RESULTS: Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure recordings did not correlate between the monitor and devices with the cuff around the finger (r-2 = .17, .17, .22), wrist (.30, .24, .33) or large arm (.44, .26, .40). The percentages of measurement differences within 5 mm Hg for the systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure were low for the device with the cuff around the finger (11.0%, 25.5%, 23.6%), wrist (33.0%, 46.4%, 35.5%) or large arm (38.5%, 29.4%, 46.7%). CONCLUSION: Despite their commercial appeal, none of these portable blood pressure monitoring devices was accurate for use by obese pregnant patients with large arms.