Abstract 15385: A Tapered BP Cuff More Accurately Measures Systolic Blood Pressure Than Does a Standard Rectangular BP Cuff Over a Range of Arm Circumferences

Introduction: Systolic blood pressure (BP) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes. However, non-invasive measures obtained using a standard rectangular cuff (RC) are accurate only when the width of the cuff is ~40% of the arm circumference (AC). This ideal Ratio (IR) is met for the medium standard rectangular cuff at an AC of 30 cm. Hypothesis: A tapered cuff (TC) designed to maintain the IR over a range of ACs more accurately measures systolic BP than does a standard rectangular cuff. Methods: Twenty-two measures of BP using the RC and the TC were compared in seven patients with ACs of 30 cm. In addition, twenty-seven measures of SBP using the RC and the TC were compared with radial artery pressures in 12 patients with clinically placed arterial lines and arm circumferences ranging from 24 cm to 38 cm. Results: When ACs were 30 cm, there was no significant difference between the RC and SC systolic pressures (mean ± SD difference of 1.3 mmHg ± 0.8, p=.78) and they correlated with one another, R 2 of 0.99. However, over a range of ACs, the RC systolic pressures significantly differed from the arterial pressures (mean difference ± SD of 11 ± 4 mmHg, p=.005), and did not correlate with the arterial readings (Panel A) , whereas the TC systolic pressures did not differ from the arterial pressures (mean difference ± SD of 2 ± 1.3 mmHg, p=.18) and did correlate with the arterial readings (Panel B). Conclusion: Systolic BPs obtained with a TC which maintains the IR over a continuous range of arm circumferences are more accurate than are those obtained with a RC.