Which BP cuff is more accurate?
 

I am curious to know whether the old manual cuff is more accurate than those Omron's that Docs seem to be using with more frequency?

Here is my situation.

Every time I am cuffed by one those electronic cuffs my BP goes something like this: 150/97.

Now when I get my pressure taken by the manual cuff I am around 130/80. My cardiologist uses the old method and tells me to not to worry. My PCP who uses the electronic monitor has put me on an additional medicine to get it lower.

I am active and do both jogging and rucking.

So I get flagged for high BP every time I go to my PCP. I told him this last time that I refuse to take any more heart medication to get it lower. I'm on Lisinopril 40mg for BP and for kidney protection (Type II Diabetic).


So basically what is your all opinion on this subject of which is more accurate?

Manual blood pressures, when properly taken, are always more accurate.

Using an appropriateky-sized cuff is also important, but this is typically more an issue in pediatrics than in adult medicine.

I would trust my cardiologist and any time my primary care provider wantsa to change a medication related to my cardiovascular system I would contact my cardiologist and ask for their recommendation on how to proceed.

Is the nurse who takes your BP at your PCP hot?:o

WCH,

can't be that. All of the ones at my doctors are severely overweight and old. Now the Dentists office is different. Was hoping to get it checked there but alas, no cuff. Maybe if I brought my own...:o

Thanks Doc. It seems around Northeastern Ohio everybody is changing over to those electronic monitors. I hear even Cleveland Clinic has gone that route.

They're quicker for sure, but abnormal blood pressures should be rechecked manually if there is concern for spurious results.

Doc,

that's the way he wants me to do it via my own manual BP cuff. Take it everyday for a week and then send him the numbers. It is like he doesn't believe in manual monitors anymore and wants proof.

The automatic BP devices were meant to be used in an environment were using a manual BP cuff and scope were difficult, at best, to use. In environments where it is noisy or difficult to hear, such as in a helo or the back of a moving ambulance with the sirens whaling, or when needing to get a generalized assessment over a short period of time, (while the medic was busy with something else attending to the Pt.) you can set the machine to take a BP at different time intervals, every 5 mins, 10 mins, etc. to watch if there is any change. It has now become a "lazy way" of taking a BP in a clinical setting and in some instances, a pre-hospital setting.

As a patient, whenever the tech, nurse, etc. begins to "hook you up" to the automatic cuff, stop them and tell them you would like it done manually, and professionally, because they are going to get bent out of shape you telling them you want it done manually. You have rights ... rights that they MUST follow.

DON'T trust that electronic feldergarb. Just like GPS' v. maps and compasses, trust the old ways, if you want solid answers.

I completely agree, I had a wrist cuff that I carried. I didn't trust it's accuracy, but it was consistant so I could watch a trend. It also gave the Bravo something to do..push this button every 5 minutes and tell me the number:D

edit

I knew it, bastard!





;)

He could have had you out boiling water and getting towels. :)

That happened to me in '84 when I took my pre-hire physical at Western Airlines. The very pretty nurse had rather large nacelles and sat in front of me with my hand tucked under her armpit. After all of the tests, the doc-in-charge mentioned that my BP was rather high. I confessed the problem and he laughed and said that he knew who I was talking about. :D

Pat

I would've told him to have the nurse come back in and check again on that arm. then the other arm for comparison and then have her bring a friend and check them both at the same time! :D

Unlikely the cause since the BP measurement was at your arm. At that particular instance your blood was flowing "somewhere else"

The manual suffers from operator error. I had an Lin take my BP by palpation then entered a diastolic number. :confused:

I look at it like a scale, as long as you use the same scale, you can measure changes.