I have recently bought a Braun battery operated wrist held digital blood pressure monitor to check pressure at home. Many persons say that these digital types are not accurate compared to old conventional mercury type. Then I checked and compared the readings of both types at same time and both gave different readings. Can anyone please advise whether the digital types give accurate readings or not ?.
2006-11-12 01:10:01 · 5 answers · asked by babu 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Heart Diseases
Well, here's the deal. Blood pressure monitors are like your bathroom scale. If you are checking your readings with your machine around the same times every time you check it, it will be considered accurate for the purpose of keeping a record of your blood pressure when outside of your doctors office. generally the wrist held machines are not as accurate as the arm monitors but they cannot be measured against the mercury type machine which is not cost effective for the general public to have. So use your machine faithfully and keep your readings for your doctor to review.
2006-11-12 15:10:35 · answer #1 · answered by Pat W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The real difference is that the professional ones (digital or mercury) are calibrated periodically to a known standard and the personal ones (regardless of kinds) are not. The kind you can buy at a drug stores will always give varying results.
By the way, your test itself may not be accurate. If you keep taking blood pressures on the same arm (assuming that's what you did), the reading will keep rising.
2006-11-12 01:22:03 · answer #2 · answered by tkquestion 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The upper arm blood pressure monitor is more accurate. I have asked my doctor, who said the wrist models are not accurate. I have researched it on the internet and most medical professionals do not advise using the wrist monitor. My brother in law bought one because he has high blood pressure. I have used it several times and it is just not correct. Does not correspond with my meter which is calibrated with my doctors office.
2016-03-19 06:50:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The older type rely far too much on the human factor (the person doing the testing). I've had nurses not be satisfied with a reading and take it again on the same arm then switch to the other arm. Gosh, imagine, they kept getting higher readings. Also, 90% of the time they take it while I'm holding my arm up in mid air rather than resting on a firm surface. Guess they forget the basics after time.
2006-11-12 01:28:04 · answer #4 · answered by Patricia S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you will always get a different reading no matter what type you use...because your b/p changes constantly...I prefer the old mercury type, and believe it is more accurate than the digital types
2006-11-12 01:18:42 · answer #5 · answered by mousyfan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my wife is an ambo and parramedic.
She swears that digital is the true way to go!
2006-11-12 01:12:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
What?
2006-11-12 01:12:14 · answer #7 · answered by ~*Alyssa*~ 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋