blood pressure monitors

nckdl · Jun 4, 2005

I do use the wrist bp cuffs, they make life so much easier!! Of course I check it weekly against a manual cuff to make sure it is accurate. And i also have a manual cuff on my cart to use if I get an abnormal reading or use it on people i know is hard to get bp's on. I did have a doctor yell at me for using it because it was too inaccurate and i had my supervisor actually stand up for me because i do check to see if it is accurate. Besides, it was a doctor who complains about everything we do. mine cost around $70 i think.

donmomofnine · Jun 7, 2005

When I took this job, we were using the wrist cuffs. I have switched back to regular cuffs for accuracy, but also due to the fact the wrist ones were easily abused and frequently out for repair! Same happens to the regular cuffs, I think, so I got the BP cuffs on stands with a vital sign clip board attached and a place to put the thermometer and pulse ox. Seems to be working so far!

In order to be accurate with the wrist cuff, it must be applied correctly and the wrist must be held at the right level and I just felt that not all staff members were taking the time to use it properly. When situations arose with abnormal BP's, staff would use the regular cuff to confirm the reading and there would be a big difference between the two cuffs.

nckdl · Jun 7, 2005

I should also clarify that I work in ltc and maybe use my cuff 4 times in a shift unless something happens.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jun 7, 2005

I too only use manual because of the accuracy. I have seen the wrist type and automatic types give false readings too often, especially in the elderly who I work with. Most of the cuffs, any kind, are not fitted properly. I have quite the assortment now of different sized cuffs for this purpose.

Most of my residents have these and take them themselves and ask me for a manual one once in a while and we see a difference every time by 5 -20 pts systolically either way (diastolic usually very close).

It really bummed me out, much quicker and easier to do it with these tools, but I keep to the old manual type :).

Chad_KY_SRNA · Jun 7, 2005

I own a wrist blood pressure cuff and did try it at work but I was not really happy with it. It gave me some really good readings and some that were not so great.