Non-invasive continuous finger blood pressure measurement during orthostatic stress compared to intra-arterial pressure

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether invasive blood pressure responses to orthostatic stress can be replaced by non-invasive continuous finger blood pressure responses. DESIGN - Intrabrachial and Finapres blood pressures were simultaneously measured during passive head up tilt and during active standing from the supine or sitting position in healthy volunteers. SUBJECTS: Subjects (n = 11) were healthy males aged 22-40 years, mean age 30 years. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Beat to beat values of systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures were calculated for both methods of measurement and the differences compared during a 30 s control period before, and during the first 120 s after, the change of posture. In the control period the difference between finger pressure and intra-arterial pressure was +2 (SD11) mm Hg for systolic, -4(8) mm Hg for mean, and -3(7) mm Hg for diastolic pressure. Compared to these control differences, the average finger minus intra-arterial pressure differences for mean and diastolic pressures during the three orthostatic manoeuvres were always within the range -6 to +6 mm Hg. The average systolic deviations were larger, ranging from -10 to +11 mm Hg. Despite these differences the characteristic changes in intra-arterial pressure during the initial phase (first 30 s after change of posture), as well as during the early steady state phase (1-2 min after the change of posture) were well reflected by finger pressure measurements in all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: For the assessment of the continuous blood pressure responses to orthostatic stress similar information can be obtained with non-invasive Finapres blood pressure recordings as with invasive recordings.