VALIDITY OF NEWBORN OSCILLOMETRIC BLOOD-PRESSURE

The objective of this study was to determine the validity of oscillome tric blood pressure in relation to arterial blood pressure. Thirty-one newborns were studied. Clinical characteristics, complications, and t reatment interventions were documented. Arterial pressure (every 2 sec ) and oscillometric pressure (every 3 min) were concurrently recorded for 1-2 h. Serial observations of oscillometric pressure followed the trend of arterial pressure in the individual newborn. However, the stu dy averaged oscillometric pressures were lower than the arterial press ures: systolic, by 1 mmHg; mean, by 5.3 mmHg (p < 0.0001); and diastol ic, by 4.6 mmHg (p < 0.0001). The variance of individual, 15-min avera ged, and l-h averaged observations of oscillometric pressure in relati on to arterial pressure was examined. Variance for individual observat ions may be large. The least variance of oscillometric pressure was in the l-h averaged mean pressure, in which the difference was +/-2 mmHg in 77% and +/-4 mmHg in 95% of observations. Clinical characteristics , with the exception of birth weight and treatment interventions, did not affect the variance of oscillometric pressure. This study implies that the offset in relation to arterial pressure should be established for each oscillometric pressure monitoring system. Hourly averaged me an oscillometric pressure is satisfactory for many newborn assessments and management circumstances. However, arterial pressure may be neces sary to accurately document transient hypertension or hypotension or a n unstable blood pressure.