Comparison of brachial and calf blood pressures in infants.
OBJECTIVE
To compare brachial and calf blood pressures in infants under one year of age using the same size blood pressure cuff.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 79 infants ages 4-300 days was selected from the General Pediatric, Pediatric Special Care, and Pediatric Intensive Care units in an acute care hospital located in the southern United States. Difference between brachial and calf blood pressures were compared using a paired t-test and defining the range of difference for 95% of the sample.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference in brachial and calf blood pressure measurements when assessed by paired t-test. The range of difference for 95% of the sample merits further clinical attention.


CONCLUSIONS
Calf blood pressure measurements can be assessed routinely on infants under one year of age but it is important to consistently compare calf pressures to calf pressures and brachial pressures to brachial pressures.
Axton
S E
SE
Smith
L F
LF
Bertrand
S
S
Dy
E
E
Liehr
P
P
D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D001916:Brachial Artery; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012890:Sleep