Blood Pressure Machines

[Hanibal]

Hi,

I know that home blood pressure machines are inaccurate when measuring whilst in arrhythmia, but does that just refer to the heart rate and not the actual BP?

Thanks

[scentedgardener]

I can't be 100% sure but I think the inaccuracy refers to the arrthymia, not the measurement of BP.I have had doctors say, when I have mentioned that it identified an arrthymia that they were not accurate. Now I make sure I say that when the machine identifies an arrthymia, and quickly add that it doesn't identify what type of arrthymia, just that there is one, then go on to say what I want to that's related to an arrthymia. They seem to be much more receptive to that approach.

[JaneFinn]

I think it might depend on the arrhythmia ? My Omron BP monitor is great but it can’t record any blood pressure when I’m in very fast AF - and neither can any of the electronic blood pressure monitors in A&E or doctors surgery.

They told me it’s because my arrhythmia is particularly fast and erratic, whereas if it were a slower rate, even if irregular the blood pressure could probably be captured. The only way to accurately measure my blood pressure in that case is the old fashioned manual way. (And last time I was in hospital not a single nurse on my ward knew how to do that - they had to call in an older nurse from another floor!!)

[alvariam]

I think the bp readings are still accurate, but I do find with my machine that if my heart rate is not regular the bp reading will not record and shows error on the screen.

[1234_6]

I'm not sure of the answer either.

I understand that with A/F it is often the speed & extreme irracticness of the changes from very high to very low that cause the trouble with home readings - the equipment just can't process the change quickly enough to get a reading. We always had trouble getting a BP reading when Dad was in A/F.

I have a different arrithmia (not A/F) & my BP Machine from Lloyds Chemist usually still records the BP but has a sign that shows my HB is irratic when it's in arrithmia.

I can also see the BP is an 'unusual' reading either much higher or low to what it is normally when there is an arrithymia, then I take BP again 10min or so later & record that as a re-take figure (& repeat another re-take if I need to), that way if GP asks I can say roughly how long the heart-beat is out-of-sync and i also have the info to ask if it's an issue for my BP to be spiking so high or low even for a short amount of time..

Only time my BP machine hasn't given a reading is when heart rate has been too low for it to read & the machine has re-pumped 3 times .... it cuts out & gives an error message, and you have to let circulation in your arm return before trying again!

Never been told that the home BP Machines aren't accurate.

But I don't like the machine at the GP Surgery that shows you via it's lights that the heart-beat is irractic, and then doesn't acutually record that on the print-out for the GP to see its occurring.

[Lonmayloon]

Hi Hannibal, you might find these articles interesting. Depending on your BP monitor I think the arrhythmia can mask the normal ‘vibrations’ of the artery as the blood flow returns to normal after the release of pressure. The machine then abandons the attempted reading and gives an error message. However, if it does manage to capture a reading the medical study in the BJA suggests that this is likely to be accurate!

seca.com/en_gb/company/stor...

academic.oup.com/bja/articl....