Comparison of automatic oscillometric arterial pressure measurement with conventional auscultatory measurement in the labour ward.
We have compared two non-invasive methods of arterial pressure (AP) measurement used in labour wards: an automatic oscillometric measurement obtained by Dinamap 1846, and a conventional auscultatory measurement obtained by midwives. A total of 369 AP measurements were recorded, involving 28 normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women during labour, with or without extradural analgesia. Compared with the midwife group, the Dinamap group had a greater systolic AP, by 2.7 mm Hg (P < 0.01) and smaller diastolic AP, by 9.8 mm Hg (P < 0.01). The correlations between the two methods were highly significant, but the limits of agreement were relatively wide for both systolic and diastolic AP measurements. We conclude that a clinically important difference exists in diastolic AP measurements. Dinamap diastolic AP must be corrected using a regression equation, or simply by adding 10 mm Hg, before being compared with the available normal and hypertensive AP values.
Hasan
M A
MA
Sir Humphry Davy Department of Anaesthesia, University of Bristol, Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Thomas
T A
TA
Prys-Roberts
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001314:Auscultation / Q000295:instrumentation; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D013599:Systole