Side effects of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
OBJECTIVE
To study the experiences and complaints of patients who underwent 24 h blood pressure monitoring.


METHODS
Two groups of hypertensive patients of a tertiary outpatient clinic were asked to fill in a nine-item questionnaire about the side effects of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). The first group (n=75) used the auscultatory Oxford Medilog device (OM) and the second group (n=110) the oscillometric Spacelabs 90207 (SL).


RESULTS
The OM showed significantly less error readings (OM versus SL, 9 versus 19%; P=0.005) but was also less tolerated by the subjects. Sleep disturbance was noted in 53% of the OM patients group in comparison with 18% in the SL group (P<0.0001). Adjustment of daily activities occurred more often in the OM group (OM versus SL, 37 versus 19%; P=0.013) as did complaints of pain in the cuffed arm (OM versus SL, 31 versus 11 %; P=0.007). There was no difference in the proportion of patients that refused a second ABPM (OM versus SL, 11 versus 10%). Linear regression analyses showed that differences in side effects between the two devices were not due to differences in blood pressure, heart rate, age or sex.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that side effects of ABPM are not negligible and that there are differences between devices.
van der Steen
Marijke S
MS
Department of General Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Lenders
Jacques W M
JW
Thien
Theo
T
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D019722:Sphygmomanometers