Regarding Blood Pressure Monitor

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sauravghosh

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Doctor advised my mum (63) for regular BP checks, thus I want to purchase a BP monitor. However, after looking at the Omron automatic BP monitors' reviews on Amazon it's scary. Loads of reviewers say the results are inaccurate and it changes every time you measure it. I mean WTF! I checked models like 7130 and 7120.

So should i opt for those old school Mercury based ones? I just need damn accurate reasons, no fancy bells and whistles at all.

If any doctor is available on the forum kindly advise.
 
Bp measurement has to be done either patient laying down straight or in standing. Never in sitting position .
Omron monitors are good, variation is bound ro be there, so check with mercury one and then with omron machine. Note the difference and keep that in mind when using it at home
Also weak batteries will give wrong results.
 
But all the doctor I have visited in my life always measure BP when I was sitting in stool beside him..

Don't you think doctor know what they are doing?

"During the measurement, sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and your arm supported so your elbow is at about heart level. The inflatable part of the cuff should completely cover at least 80% of your upper arm, and the cuff should be placed on bare skin, not over a shirt."

www.health.harvard.edu

Tips to measure your blood pressure correctly - Harvard Health

To determine whether you have hypertension, a medical professional will take a blood pressure reading. How you prepare for the test, the position of your arm, and other factors can change a blood pressure reading by 10% or more. That could be enough ...
www.health.harvard.edu www.health.harvard.edu
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I am telling what my doctor said and he is old school type of doc. 80 yrs old now, he teaches at medical college in Coimbatore, also he has been my doc ever since i was born.
So yes i trust him more than a phamplet.
 
Guys I asked which ones are more accurate, mercury or automatic ones, now I'm even more confused!

Also, all the doctors I have visited have asked me to lie down before checking BP. Don't recall any doctor taking it while I was in sitting position.
 
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jujuburi said:
Guys I asked which ones are more accurate, mercury or automatic ones, now I'm even more confused!

Also, all the doctors I have visited have asked me to lie down before checking BP. Don't recall any doctor taking it while I was in sitting position.
Click to expand...
Go with omron one digital, omron has good name in medical equipment..

Mercury type is not meant for general use even if you see some you tube video..
 
Of course mercury ones are most accurate, but you have to buy a stethoscope with it and learn how to measure diastolic BP ( it is very easy)
I have never used any automatic digital ones personally except NIBP in ICU/ITUs
Aneroid monitors are used by almost all doctors ( but that too needs a stethoscope to measure the diastolic pressure)
Don't worry about patient's position for now. For 90 percent people readings will be very close.
Standing, sitting and lying down records differ in a small percentage of people with autonomic disturbances etc.
Try to measure in the left hand ( due to origin of brachial artery of the left side compared to right,but don't get into details, it will unnecessarily confuse you)
Buy any good aneroid BP machine, a basic stetho and learn from YouTube what to listen for diastolic BP)
We doctors don't believe in digital BP/ Thermometers.
 
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OP it seems doesn't need practical advise or solutions even if that comes from a professional.
All the best
 
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red dragon said:
Of course mercury ones are most accurate, but you have to buy a stethoscope with it and learn how to measure diastolic BP ( it is very easy)
I have never used any automatic digital ones personally except NIBP in ICU/ITUs
Aneroid monitors are used by almost all doctors ( but that too needs a stethoscope to measure the diastolic pressure)
Don't worry about patient's position for now. For 90 percent people readings will be very close.
Standing, sitting and lying down records differ in a small percentage of people with autonomic disturbances etc.
Try to measure in the left hand ( due to origin of brachial artery of the left side compared to right,but don't get into details, it will unnecessarily confuse you)
Buy any good aneroid BP machine, a basic stetho and learn from YouTube what to listen for diastolic BP)
We doctors don't believe in digital BP/ Thermometers.
Click to expand...
Okay so i watched a bunch of YouTube videos, screenshot attached, and obviously it's not rocket science to listen for those sounds, the first and last one. But still I'm not confident enough lol. Like how to tie the upper arm calf properly, exactly where to place the stethoscope etc.

Hmm lemme think. Thanks for your opinion by the way.
 

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Tie it 1 inch above the crease in front of elbow joint.
Palpate the brachial artery with fingers, place the stetho over the area where the brachial artery is palpable.
Don't worry, you will become an expert in 2-3 days.
It is very very simple.
 
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red dragon said:
Tie it 1 inch above the crease in front of elbow joint.
Palpate the brachial artery with fingers, place the stetho over the area where the brachial artery is palpable.
Don't worry, you will become an expert in 2-3 days.
It is very very simple.
Click to expand...
Got it. I'll keep these in mind. I have one more query for you, how far should i inflate the arm band? They are saying pump it till the needle reaches 200, is that correct?

Also please suggest a good quality sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope to go with it.
 
While inflating the armband check the radial pulse of the same hand, once it disappears raise it for another 20 mm.
Now close the valve by rotating the small knob towards clockwise ( the knob is located just above the hand pump)
Place your stetho's diaphragm over the brachial artery.
Now slowly release the pressure by rotating the knob anti-clockwise and listen closely for any sound through your stetho's earpiece.
Sounds complicated, but practice few times, it will become very easy.
NEVER EVER raise the pressure to 200 without checking the radial pulse. If a patient has very low pressure normally, it may rupture capillaries.
Post automatically merged:

If you miss the sounds few times, don't worry, just raise the pressure again and do the exact thing again. We all miss diastolic pressure at times, it's perfectly normal.
Sorry, I forgot all the brand names available in India. Any decent stetho will do ( will cost around 800-900 INR) You don't need those fancy cardiophonic ones. Just buy the cheap double tube ones from College Street around Calcutta Medical College or the shops located on the opposite side of NRS medical college ( Sealdah)
 
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The omron has some models with easy cuff which claim to get accurate results much more easily, but no reviews on amazon.
 
There is nothing easy or difficult in blood pressure monitoring buddy. It is a simple, very basic clinical examination.
 
red dragon said:
While inflating the armband check the radial pulse of the same hand, once it disappears raise it for another 20 mm.
Now close the valve by rotating the small knob towards clockwise ( the knob is located just above the hand pump)
Place your stetho's diaphragm over the brachial artery.
Now slowly release the pressure by rotating the knob anti-clockwise and listen closely for any sound through your stetho's earpiece.
Sounds complicated, but practice few times, it will become very easy.
NEVER EVER raise the pressure to 200 without checking the radial pulse. If a patient has very low pressure normally, it may rupture capillaries.
Post automatically merged:

If you miss the sounds few times, don't worry, just raise the pressure again and do the exact thing again. We all miss diastolic pressure at times, it's perfectly normal.
Sorry, I forgot all the brand names available in India. Any decent stetho will do ( will cost around 800-900 INR) You don't need those fancy cardiophonic ones. Just buy the cheap double tube ones from College Street around Calcutta Medical College or the shops located on the opposite side of NRS medical college ( Sealdah)
Click to expand...
Oof now I'm scared a bit, for that rupture part.

Okay so there's an additional step which none of the reviews mentioned I've watched thus far, that is keep checking the radial pulse and stop inflating when it disappears. Hmm okay.

Radial pulse is the one which we normally measure with our finger on underside the wrist right?

Thanks for advising to purchase the equipments locally, but NRS/ College st. are over 10 kms from my house and it's not possible to visit those places in this situation. So preferring to purchase online only.
 
Don't worry about it, it happens very rarely. Where are you located? If in South Kolkata, can get them beside KPC.
But online must be convenient now. Make sure to buy a returnable product ( specially the aneroid monitor) sometimes they misbehave.
Don't worry, it's an easy procedure, you techie people can do lot more complicated stuff.
BTW, when the radial pulse disappears, that's the Systolic BP.
That's called palpatory method, used during wartime to assess very quickly in bullet/ bomb injuries.
 
I'm at my parents' old house in Uttarpara now (since lock-down) and under the circumstances it's out of the question to move back to Calcutta dude. That's why preferring to purchase online. But there are some shops here from which i can purchase but I'm confident they'll scam me with some garbage products as they understand by the face of the buyer who knows his shit and who doesn't.
 
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