LAM-100 MARSHALL F-88 - ACCURACY AND PRECISION OF A NEW DEVICE FOR DISCONTINUOUS FINGER BLOOD-PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

We tested the performance of the LAM 100 (also known as the Marshall F -88), a semiautomated oscillometric device for discontinuous BP measur ement at the finger, which could be very suitable for self-recording o f BP because of its small size and convenient mode of operation. The L AM 100 was compared with the random zero sphygmomanometer and with BP measured by the Finapres for beat-to-beat measurement of finger arteri al pressure in 40 patients following guidelines of the AAMI. Compared with the random zero sphygmomanometer the LAM 100 underestimated SBP b y 9 mmHg (SD 12) and DBP by 7 mmHg (SD 9). These differences exceed th e limits set by the AAMI. The differences between the LAM 100 and the random zero spghymomanometer could not be explained by physiological p eripheral pulse wave changes because Finapres SBP was underestimated b y 4 mmHg (SD 15) and DBP was overestimated by the LAM 100 by 8 mmHg (S D 10). We conclude that the LAM 100 is not suitable for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.