ACCURACY OF BLOOD-PRESSURE MEASUREMENT BY THE DINAMAP MONITOR IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

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  • 1 June 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 79  (6) , 907-914
Abstract
Indirect BPs measured by the Dinamap monitor, an oscillometric device, and the conventional auscultatory method were compared with the direct radial artery pressure in infants and children. There were 29 patients in the Dinamap group with a median age of 18 months (ranges 1 month to 16 years) and 20 patients in the auscultatory group with a median age of 3.5 years (ranges 3 months to 16 years). The direct radial artery pressures were recorded on a strip chart and the ranges of pressures were obtained for systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures. The range of direct readings was converted to a weighted single reading, and comparisons were made between the direct and indirect readings. The linear regression equation between the direct (x) and the Dinamap (y) readings (with correlation coefficient) was y = 1.05x-5.36 (r= .97) for systolic, y = 1.10x-4.65 (r= .903) for diastolic, and y = 1.06x-4.21 (r = .917) for mean pressures. The linear regression equation (with correlation coefficient) for the auscultatory pressure was y = 1.60x-68.23 (r = .872) and y = 1.38x-16.47 (r = .874) for diastolic pressures. The error was defined as the indirect reading minus the direct reading. The mean error .+-. SD was -0.24 .+-. 3.26 for systolic, 1.28 .+-. 4.74 for diastolic, and 0.10 .+-. 4.56 mm Hg for mean pressures by the Dinamap method. It was -1.65 .+-. 6.68 for systolic, and 8.70 .+-. 5.97 for diastolic pressures by the auscultatory method. The results show that (1) the Dinamap BPs correlate well with the direct radial artery pressure, and (2) the mean error is smaller with the Dinamap method than with the auscultatory method. When the lack of observer variation and the accuracy of the device are considered, the Dinamap method may be preferred to the conventional auscultatory method in obtaining indirect BP measurements in infants and children.