Measuring blood pressure in pregnancy and postpartum: assessing the reliability of automated measuring devices

Abstract

Objective: To determine the reliability of automated blood pressure (BP) measuring devices in hypertensive pregnancies. Methods: Three sequential measurements were taken using mercury sphygmomanometry and an automated device in pregnant hypertensive women (n = 89). Results: Systolic BP (SBP) was higher with the automated device (mean difference 2.5 mmHg, 95% CI: 1.9–3.2 mmHg), whereas diastolic BP (DBP) was higher with the mercury sphygmomanometer (mean difference 2.0 mmHg, 95% CI: 1.5–2.6 mmHg). Within-patient variability for the automated device was: SBP 4.8 mmHg (95% CI: 4.6–5.2 mmHg), DBP 3.4 mmHg (95% CI: 3.1–3.7 mmHg); and for mercury sphygmomanometry: SBP 3.7 mmHg (95% CI: 3.5–4.0 mmHg), DBP 3.0 mmHg (95% CI: 2.8–3.3 mmHg). Conclusion: Outpatient automated BP measurement agrees well with mercury sphygmomanometry in hypertensive pregnancies.

• Automated devices
• Mercury sphygmomanometer