Experience of using a professional tonometer for in-line blood pressure screening in patients in hospital

Aim. Evaluation of the possible advantages of measuring blood pressure (BP) with a professional tonometer for in-line screening of blood pressure, pulse, arrhythmia (oscillometric method) in a hospital over measuring blood pressure using the auscultation method. Methods and outcomes. 2503 blood pressure measurements by the oscillometric method in 165 patients were analyzed. Of these, 136 people were > 20-21 years old with a history of arterial hypertension - AH (1st group) and 29 people were young persons (18-20 years old) with no history of AH (2nd group). Results. Only 13,3% of participants had never measured BP; 24,1% of the 2nd group required antihypertensive therapy following the results of this study. The percentage of patients' awareness of their BP levels among those who measured BP by the auscultation method and by the oscillometric method was 10 and 100%, correspondently. In the course of the study, heart rhythm alterations were revealed in 9,5% of patients when using the oscillometric method. The measurement of BP in all patients in the department by one desk nurse requires 2 times less time when using the oscillometric method compared to the auscultation method. Conclusions. When measuring BP by the oscillometric method, regardless of patients’ age and gender, their awareness of the level of AH increases. Given a modern character of measurement and submitting data to the medical records in inpatients patients for accurate and quick correction of AH, detection of cardiac arrhythmias, it is preferable to choose a professional tonometer based on the oscillometric method for in-line specification of BP, pulse, arrhythmia. With regular BP monitoring, there is a correction of behavioral risk factors and adherence to antihypertensive therapy are corrected.

oscillometric method, blood pressure, tonometer, arterial hypertension