I was always asked: electronic sphygmomanometer or mercury sphygmomanometer, which measurement is more accurate? In fact, neither of them is the gold standard for measuring blood pressure. To be particularly accurate, it is necessary to percutaneously puncture the artery and feed it into a hollow catheter. There is an opening at the top of the catheter to directly communicate with the blood in the artery, so that the pressure measurement is connected to the end of the catheter. The instrument can directly measure the arterial blood pressure at the tip of the catheter. Mercury sphygmomanometers and electronic sphygmomanometers monitor blood pressure levels by sensing changes in arterial pulsation on the body surface (mostly on the upper arm cuff, but also on the wrist) under different pressures, which are indirect measurements. Of course, it should be compared with direct pressure measurement during development, and the measured blood pressure is close to the result of direct measurement through correction. Therefore, as long as the design and inspection are qualified, there is no question of who is more accurate. Both are accurate.
So, what are the pros and cons compared to the two? The main disadvantages of mercury sphygmomanometers are:
1. The leakage of mercury after broken or forgetting to close the valve will cause mercury pollution.
2. The operation is relatively complicated, especially the reading interpretation requires training.
3. There is no memory function, and the previous blood pressure cannot be retrieved for comparison.
These items are precisely the strengths of electronic blood pressure meters. Therefore, in the latest edition of China's guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, the use of electronic sphygmomanometers has also been recommended. Joining the Mercury Convention is only one of the reasons. In addition to these two types, pressure gauge sphygmomanometers have long been widely used due to their portability, ease of measurement, and ease of reading. The disadvantage is that the pressure gauge is affected by the ambient temperature, and the measured value in the hot summer and cold winter will have a certain impact.
Electronic sphygmomanometers can also be divided into upper arm type and wrist type sphygmomanometers. So, which is more accurate compared to upper arm type and wrist type sphygmomanometers? Generally speaking, the blood pressure will be different for different parts of the measured artery. The closer to the heart, the higher the pressure, but firstly the upper arm is not far from the wrist, and secondly, the correction was made during the development, so it can be said that both are accurate. . However, because the upper arm artery is thicker and the pulse is clearer, the technical requirements for the manufacture of sphygmomanometers are relatively lower than that of the wrist type, and it is often more accurate than the wrist type.
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