Key Points
- Evaluate the mechanical integrity of sphygmomanometers and the anatomical suitability of standard blood pressure cuffs in a hospital setting.
- Inspected sphygmomanometer control valves for operational defects across a teaching hospital group.
- Assessed standard British-issue blood pressure cuffs to determine whether rubber bladder dimensions adequately encircled patient arm circumferences.
- Nearly 50% of inspected hospital sphygmomanometers possessed defective control valves that disrupted accurate blood pressure readings.
- Standard cuff bladders failed to encircle the upper arms of more than 50% of evaluated patients, leading to systematic overestimation of blood pressure in individuals with obesity.
Structured PICO
PPopulation500 patients (250 inpatients and 250 outpatients attending medical clinics) and 79 sphygmomanometers in a teaching hospital group.
IInterventionAssessment of sphygmomanometer defects and measurement of patient arm circumference.
OOutcomeProportion of defective sphygmomanometers and distribution of arm circumferences.
Defective sphygmomanometer valves and inadequately sized cuffs are common sources of blood pressure measurement errors in hospitals, highlighting the need for regular equipment checks and larger standard cuffs.