Comparison of the oscillometric blood pressure monitor (BIRM-100beta) with the auscultatory mercury sphygmomanometer

Background To compare directly the accuracy of the BPM-100(Beta) monitor (an automated oscillometric blood pressure device) with standard auscultatory mercury sphygmomanometry. Design The BPM-100(Beta) was connected in parallel via a T-tube to a mercury sphygmomanometer. The BPM-100(Beta) and two trained observers (blinded from each other and from the BPM-100(Beta)) measured the sitting blood pressure simultaneously. Methods Means, standard deviations and ranges were calculated for all the demographic data: age, arm size, heart rate and blood pressure. The agreement between the BPM-100(Beta) and the mean of two observers (the reference) was determined and expressed as the mean SD, as well as the percentage of differences failing within 5, 10 and 15 mmHg. Results Of the 92 subjects recruited, 85 (92.4%) met the inclusion criteria, and 391 sets of sitting blood pressure and heart rate measurements were available for analysis. The mean difference between the BPM-100(Beta) monitor and the reference was -0.62 +/- 6.96 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, -1.48 +/- 4.80 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure and 0.14 +/- 1.86 beats/min for heart rate. The only limitation of the device was its tendency to underestimate higher systolic blood pressures. This problem has been addressed by a minor change in the algorithm (see the companion publication, Blood Press Monit 6: 161-165, 2001). Conclusion The BPM-100(Beta) is an accurate blood pressure monitor for the office setting, meeting all requirements of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and achieving an 'A' grade according to the British Hypertension Society protocol. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.