wrist cuffs? how accurate?

NamasteNurse, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2011

I was surprised too when I first started, to see the wrist cuffs. I think if they have fresh batteries and are used correctly, they are pretty close most of the time. OK for most LTC uses but if it's close like say for a BP med to be given within parameters and it's close, I'll do it manually just to be sure.

srmoon · Sep 13, 2011

I used a wrist cuff for general use in LTC, but like NamasteNurse said if its close to a not ok bp, I always got a manual reading for legit use.

roser13, ASN, RN · Sep 13, 2011

Do not buy or use your own equipment. All equipment should be standardized and run through your facility's testing/certifying procedures.

tyvin, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2011

People read the directions. All the wrist cuffs I've dealt with must be put on a person who is sitting up, then you have them cross their arm perpendicular to their waist, then have them raise the arm slowly keeping the elbow straight and having the hand raise up toward the heart until the cuff makes a beeping sound then stop and the machine will do it's thing. They are accurate if used correctly.

SweetseRN · Sep 13, 2011

Do not buy your own because if yours is not up to the exact standards you could be held accountable for using an unapproved device.

heathert_kc · Sep 13, 2011

I work in LTC and I too use a wrist B/P cuff or our facility's dinamap. Yes I personally think that a manual cuff is best, and I do use one if I get a reading that is grossly out of range for a particular resident, but wrist cuffs are relatively inexpensive, save time (which working in LTC one often has very little of), more convenient than lugging around a large machine from room to room, plus I believe they are accurate when used properly. If you have worked much in hospitals you will have just as hard of a time finding a manual cuff because the vast majority of the time they too use automated machine, though more often a dinamap rather than a wrist cuff, but in my mind a machine is a machine.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2011

I have one, but I only use it on a contracted pt when I'm not able to comfortably use the manual one. I think they are close, but I prefer to use a manual cuff.

beatrice1 · Sep 13, 2011

People read the directions. All the wrist cuffs I've dealt with must be put on a person who is sitting up, then you have them cross their arm perpendicular to their waist, then have them raise the arm slowly keeping the elbow straight and having the hand raise up toward the heart until the cuff makes a beeping sound then stop and the machine will do it's thing. They are accurate if used correctly.

I have not seen any of the nurses do this at all, I don't even think they use it properly. Some patients are sitting up, someare lying down. They just put it on thier wrist and push the button.

I never used one, or read the directions... so I just did it how I was told.

Isabelle49 · Sep 14, 2011

Electronic BP monitors, whether cuff, other or hospital grade will not be accurate in the case of a patient with atrial fibrillation, especially if rhythm is really off. I prefer manual bp's.

SeeTheMoon · Sep 14, 2011

We have one at home, and have compared it to manual and it's pretty accurate. Ditto though, on not buying your own, and accuracy w/ different phenomenons (atrial fib, etc.) But, considering at LTC, you will probably have to take BP's over sweater sleeves, etc (get's cool for the elderly! :) ) the wrist sure would be a lot easier.

DanidelionRN, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2011

Do not buy or use your own equipment. All equipment should be standardized and run through your facility's testing/certifying procedures.

This doesn't always work. My facility does not provide much in the way of equipment. When I was hired, I was a bit shocked to discover that every nurse had her own thermometer and blood pressure cuff- the facility has a basket of ear probe covers, and a thermometer or two kicking around somewhere, but not always able to be found- and the manual BP cuffs are in such sad disrepair that on one occasion I had a resident who was experiencing some odd symptoms, and whom I was trying to check BP on; the wrist cuff I borrowed from another nurse didn't work on this lady accurately, the first manual BP cuff I grabbed literally POPPED as I was inflating it, the second one had a leak in its tubing- and it took me rummaging around to find a third cuff that was in working order, to be able to take this poor woman's blood pressure! (which turned out to be WNL).

I now have my own temporal thermometer and wrist BP cuff- as it's the only way to guarantee I will be able to find them when I need them.