As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Happened to me in hospital once. Device kept inflating until I had to vocalise my alarm.

buffy said:

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

Rule 303 said:

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

Yes…that should really be an easy solution, I would think. Still, I have reported it.

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

Rule 303 said:

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

I would have thought that would be a requirement on any automatic BP machine that uses a cuff.

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

During the Falklands war it was found that digital video cameras wouldn’t work on the warships due to radar etc creating too much electronic noise. They had to go back to film cameras.

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Maybe, it’s known to happen with those though for various reasons , one of the patient warnings is meant to be bruising on the cuff arm.

Tamb said:

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

During the Falklands war it was found that digital video cameras wouldn’t work on the warships due to radar etc creating too much electronic noise. They had to go back to film cameras.

And they had to switch off their radar when the BBC wanted to send a report back to London, that was unfortunate for HMS Sheffield, well so the story goes.

Peak Warming Man said:

Tamb said:

Rule 303 said:

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

During the Falklands war it was found that digital video cameras wouldn’t work on the warships due to radar etc creating too much electronic noise. They had to go back to film cameras.

And they had to switch off their radar when the BBC wanted to send a report back to London, that was unfortunate for HMS Sheffield, well so the story goes.

I hadn’t heard that, but possible I suppose.

poikilotherm said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Maybe, it’s known to happen with those though for various reasons , one of the patient warnings is meant to be bruising on the cuff arm.

Ah..maybe as this particular practice is new to the procedure they missed that one. Now they know.

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

Rule 303 said:

Yep. There’s a whole bunch of monitors they can’t run in choppers and light planes for the same reason.

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

There is but it might pop off well past 280 , more like 350mmhg

wookiemeister said:

Rule 303 said:

buffy said:

They need to tell people about it. It did really hurt.

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

There is but it might pop off well past 280 , more like 350mmhg

If the electronics are going to get tricked by vibration or shock, it needs a simple sprung pressure break valve in the plumbing. A manual version (with a label that says “Press to release pressure”) could be added to the tube for a tiny cost.

Rule 303 said:

wookiemeister said:

Rule 303 said:

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

There is but it might pop off well past 280 , more like 350mmhg

If the electronics are going to get tricked by vibration or shock, it needs a simple sprung pressure break valve in the plumbing. A manual version (with a label that says “Press to release pressure”) could be added to the tube for a tiny cost.

I agree but why hasn’t it already been added?

roughbarked said:

Rule 303 said:

wookiemeister said:

There is but it might pop off well past 280 , more like 350mmhg

If the electronics are going to get tricked by vibration or shock, it needs a simple sprung pressure break valve in the plumbing. A manual version (with a label that says “Press to release pressure”) could be added to the tube for a tiny cost.

I agree but why hasn’t it already been added?

FIIK.

FWIW after a few goes I believe the action of the NIBP reading causes any further result to be suspect.

Some devices pump up three times and take an average

You MIGHT be able to change the settings so the cuff doesn’t pump up beyond a certain figure

Some devices are very good and pump up and cut off as they sense the blood flow stop.

The other problem is if the NIBP machine has been handed to you by the clinic its most likely at least 10 years old – suss readings.

All these machines have ERRORS of anything up to 10mmhg either way

I was looking at some corpuls unit recently and wrote it off for distributor service as it was reading something like 135/ 25 whilst measuring the perfect patient. It had other problems as well , the pacer function was pumping out 120ma whilst claiming to be set for 10ma

Any reading from an electronic NIBP machine should be treated with caution and be used as a GUIDE only

Rule 303 said:

wookiemeister said:

Rule 303 said:

Or build an over-pressure relief into the unit.

There is but it might pop off well past 280 , more like 350mmhg

If the electronics are going to get tricked by vibration or shock, it needs a simple sprung pressure break valve in the plumbing. A manual version (with a label that says “Press to release pressure”) could be added to the tube for a tiny cost.

I think it’s just a mechanical device as you said , a spring

The brain will be set at a particular value before the mechanical valve pops

My choice for more accurate readings

The omron hem 907

They start around 1000 bucks

The error on these units is more like 2/3 mmhg either side of the value

I’m fairly sure you can dial in the maximum pressure applied.

The Gold standard for sphygmos is mercury column

Aneroid / electronic can have errors.

If the doctor has doubts they will use the mercury column

wookiemeister said:

FWIW after a few goes I believe the action of the NIBP reading causes any further result to be suspect.

Some devices pump up three times and take an average

You MIGHT be able to change the settings so the cuff doesn’t pump up beyond a certain figure

Some devices are very good and pump up and cut off as they sense the blood flow stop.

The other problem is if the NIBP machine has been handed to you by the clinic its most likely at least 10 years old – suss readings.

All these machines have ERRORS of anything up to 10mmhg either way

I was looking at some corpuls unit recently and wrote it off for distributor service as it was reading something like 135/ 25 whilst measuring the perfect patient. It had other problems as well , the pacer function was pumping out 120ma whilst claiming to be set for 10ma

Any reading from an electronic NIBP machine should be treated with caution and be used as a GUIDE only

It was a new unit. I was the third patient to use it in real life. Welch Allyn’s version, and that is a brand I know well. I used Welch Allyn ophthalmoscopes and retinoscopes all my working life. From listening to it, I would say it pumped up to a certain level (I should have looked at the readout as it was doing it, but I didn’t think of it), added a bit if it was still getting vibrations, and then went fff, fff, fff in some increments until it lost the vibrations. Then it released, bipped and put the readings on the little screen. On the occasion that the car vibrations messed it up, it waited a short time and had a second go.

wookiemeister said:

The Gold standard for sphygmos is mercury column

Aneroid / electronic can have errors.

If the doctor has doubts they will use the mercury column

Many doctors don’t any more. The mercury sphygmos have been put away in the cupboard somewhere. And if you don’t practice with them, the skill gets rusty. Korotkoff sounds aren’t always easy to interpret.

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Last time I did a blood pressure test., the cuff inflated twice, ripping off half the velcro, and did get quite painful. This was in the doctor’s office. My blood pressure isn’t that high, not high enough to need blood pressure lowering medication. I put it down to it being an old device with dead velcro, but perhaps it’s the brand of blood pressure monitor.

mollwollfumble said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Last time I did a blood pressure test., the cuff inflated twice, ripping off half the velcro, and did get quite painful. This was in the doctor’s office. My blood pressure isn’t that high, not high enough to need blood pressure lowering medication. I put it down to it being an old device with dead velcro, but perhaps it’s the brand of blood pressure monitor.

Have you got huge arms? Did you flex?

:-)

mollwollfumble said:

buffy said:

As you know, I’ve just done a 24 hour stint with an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. It was a Welch Allyn device. It is an oscillatory/oscillometric blood pressure measurer. This means it detects vibrations in the blood pressure wall as the cuff deflates (yes, I had to look that up). Yesterday I was in the ute with Mr buffy driving when it was due to do a reading. It tried twice, but threw error messages. I reported this to the practice nurse, who did not know of this problem and is going to follow it up with the manufacturer. I think they need to tell patients about that. When it couldn’t get a reading, it tried to cut my arm off by continuing to inflate and inflate and inflate. It was actually quite painful.

I think this is probably a problem with the vibrations of the car, being an oscillatory device?

Last time I did a blood pressure test., the cuff inflated twice, ripping off half the velcro, and did get quite painful. This was in the doctor’s office. My blood pressure isn’t that high, not high enough to need blood pressure lowering medication. I put it down to it being an old device with dead velcro, but perhaps it’s the brand of blood pressure monitor.

They probably didn’t put the cuff on properly

Proper NIBPs have the ability to quickly set the maximum pressure.