title: Task Force I: methodological aspects of blood pressure measurement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reach a consensus on important methodological aspects of blood pressure measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Task Force on the methodological aspects of blood pressure measurement wrote this review after the Eighth International Consensus Conference on Blood Pressure Monitoring, in Sendai, Japan (28-31 October 2001). This consensus paper is based on the papers presented by Task Force I and on the discussion sessions, and is therefore representative of a broad spectrum of expert opinion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consensus was reached on the following five issues: (1) there is an urgent need for a simplified protocol for the validation of blood pressure measuring devices; (2) there is a need for a means of updating the "state of the market" for validated devices so that users can have easy access to this information; (3) new devices must be validated independently, and existing devices that have not been validated must be reappraised; (4) manufacturers should confirm when new models use algorithms which have been validated previously; (5) the Food and Drug Administration now accepts that when ambulatory blood pressure measurement is used in clinical short-term trials in which side-effects are not being assessed, a placebo arm is not required.
authors.affiliation: Blood Pressure Unit, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. eobrien@iol.ie
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Montfrans
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palatini
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tochikubo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Staessen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shirasaki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lipicky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D018795:Device Approval / Q000592:standards; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination