The blood pressure monitor is a medical device used to measure blood pressure. It is used during any clinical examination. It is made up of three elements: a cuff that slips around the arm or wrist, a cuff inflation and deflation system and a pressure gauge connected to the cuff on which the measured pressure can be read. The manual version is still widely used by healthcare professionals, but the automatic electronic blood pressure monitor is more and more present in hospitals and in private homes.

The blood pressure monitor measures blood pressure, which is the pressure of the blood circulating in the arteries. Blood pressure is determined by two values: the higher value represents systolic blood pressure (systole) and the lower value represents diastolic blood pressure (diastole).

Composition and structure

The classic manual blood pressure monitor consists of a cuff, closed by a Velcro, which can be inflated using a bulb connected to a hose, then deflated thanks to the valve with which this bulb is equipped. The cuff is connected by a tube to a manometer on which the measured pressure is displayed. This blood pressure monitor, which is used with a stethoscope, allows a very precise determination of blood pressure. For electronic blood pressure monitors, the inflation / deflation of the cuff, as well as the measurements are done automatically, which makes their use easier.

The blood pressure monitor is used to measure blood pressure and thus detect cases of excessive blood pressure. For a correct diagnosis, several measurements must be carried out under suitable conditions and interpreted taking into account the patient’s data (age, sex, heredity, lifestyle, medication, other pathologies).

Blood pressure values

L’hypertension

High blood pressure is a “silent” disease that does not manifest itself in any outward symptom, but it can have serious consequences. Hence the importance of regular blood pressure measurement in people at risk. Hypertension can eventually lead to fatigue of the heart muscle and weakening of the arteries.

Audiences at risk for hypertension

High blood pressure is very common in the population: more than 11 million patients are treated for hypertension, and 3 to 4 million people are unaware that they are in a situation of hypertension. Very often, hypertension is associated with other pathologies (overweight or obesity, cholesterol, diabetes) which are at risk for a cardiovascular complication (atherosclerosis, heart attack, embolism, stroke).

L’hypotension

Unlike hypertension, hypotension is usually transient and is not related to any pathology. It is also considered that low blood pressure is a sign of good physical condition. Hypotension can be the consequence of fatigue, dehydration, or getting up too quickly. It can be accompanied by dizziness, even fainting in the most extreme cases. Eliminating the cause usually “heals” the symptom.

Voltage is a parameter that fluctuates easily. So, if taking your blood pressure is an apparently easy test to perform, it is imperative to follow certain precautions so as not to distort the results.

Operation

Take the example of the manual blood pressure monitor, still very commonly used by nursing staff. The cuff is placed around the arm and the stethoscope pinna is slipped under the cuff. The cuff is inflated until the artery is completely compressed and blood flow is blocked: the blood pressure is then maximum upstream. The air is then evacuated until the blood circulation resumes.

The pressure in the cuff at which blood circulation resumes and the heartbeat begins to be felt again corresponds to systolic pressure: it is the blood pressure when the heart contracts to evacuate blood. The cuff then continues to be deflated until it reaches the minimum pressure at which the heartbeats are no longer audible with the stethoscope: this is the diastolic pressure, which corresponds to the pressure of the blood when the heart relaxes when it is released. fills with blood.

When to use it?

Measurements should be taken at different times of the day and on a regular basis. For example, in the event of follow-up to adapt a treatment, two to three measurements every morning upon waking and every evening after dinner for several days in a row.

Precautions to take

The tension should be taken while at rest: you should be relaxed, comfortably seated, your back straight and supported, your feet flat on the ground, your arm resting on a flat surface and placed at the same height as your heart. You must not have eaten or consumed coffee, alcohol or other stimulants in the half hour preceding the measurement, nor have practiced any physical activity. The cuff is placed on the bare arm above the elbow. For wrist blood pressure monitors, care must be taken to ensure that the wrist is resting on a support and is at the same height as the heart.

Many models of blood pressure monitors are available over the counter. But before buying a blood pressure monitor, make sure that it complies with European CE standards (mandatory) and possibly other standards (clinical standards, ISO standards).

The different models

Electronic blood pressure monitors

It works with batteries or rechargeable battery. It settles around the arm or wrist. The cuff inflates and deflates automatically and the blood pressure and heart rate measurements are directly readable on an LCD screen. The upper arm blood pressure monitor is preferred over the wrist blood pressure monitor because the closer a blood pressure is taken to the heart, the more reliable it is to measure. However, wrist blood pressure monitors have the advantage of being smaller and easier to use.

Connected blood pressure monitors

Connected blood pressure monitors are electronic versions that transmit the recorded measurements to a smartphone application via Bluetooth. The measurements can then be sent to the doctor. Some versions also allow you to download measurements on your personal space on a website.

The ancestor of the blood pressure monitor

The “Vaquez” in 1907, then two years later, the “Pachon” are the ancestors of the current manual blood pressure monitor. The “Pachon” was equipped with two dials: an oscillometer to assess the amplitude of arterial oscillations and a manometer to measure blood pressure through a cuff.