PERFORMANCE OF THE AM-5600 BLOOD-PRESSURE MONITOR - COMPARISON WITH AMBULATORY INTRAARTERIAL PRESSURE

The AM-5600 is a new device that simultaneously monitors electrocardio gram (EGG) and noninvasive blood pressure (BP) over a 24-h period. BP readings (Korotkoff Bounds and cuff air pressure) are stored into the recorder, allowing the removal of BP artifacts after a visual check. I n 12 subjects with essential hypertension, we compared BP values simul taneously provided by the AM-5600 and intra-arterial recordings. At re st. noninvasive systolic BP (SEP) values were lower (5.4 +/- 4.9 mmHg) and diastolic BF (DBP) values were higher (7.3 +/- 7.3 mmHg) than wer e intra-arterial values. In ambulatory conditions (9 subjects), betwee n-method discrepancies were +0.8 +/- 6.1 and +12.2 +/- 7.4 mmHg for 24 -h SEP and DBP, respectively. AM-5600 underestimated 24-h intra-arteri al SEP and DBP SD, but it accurately tracked intra-arterial SEP and DB P changes. Editing removed 22.1% of total readings, slightly reducing between method discrepancies. Thus the AM-5600 provides an accurate av erage estimate of resting and ambulatory SEP and, fur DBP, a less accu rate estimate that is slightly improved by editing. The AM-5600 allows accurate description of SEP and DBP profiles and thus may be suitable to describe the abrupt BP changes accompanying a number of clinical e vents.