Abstract
BackgroundAmbulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is increasingly used to measure blood pressure (BP) in research studies. We examined ease of use, comfort, degree of disturbance, reported adverse effects, factors associated with poor tolerability, and association of poor tolerability with data acquisition of 24-hour ABPM using the Oscar 2 monitor in the research setting.MethodsSixty adults participating in a research study of people with a history of borderline clinic BP reported on their experience with ABPM on two occasions one week apart. Poor tolerability was operationalized as an overall score at or above the 75th percentile using responses to questions adapted from a previously developed questionnaire. In addition to descriptive statistics (means for responses to Likert-scaled "0 to 10" questions and proportions for Yes/No questions), we examined reproducibility of poor tolerability as well as associations with poor tolerability and whether poor tolerability was associated with removal of the monitor or inadequate number of BP measurements.ResultsThe mean ambulatory BP of participants by an initial ABPM session was 148/87 mm Hg. After wearing the monitor the first time, the degree to which the monitor was felt to be cumbersome ranged from a mean of 3.0 to 3.8, depending on whether at work, home, driving, or other times. The most bother was interference with normal sleeping pattern (mean 4.2). Wearers found the monitor straightforward to use (mean 7.5). Nearly 67% reported that the monitor woke them after falling asleep, and 8.6% removed it at some point during the night. Reported adverse effects included pain (32%), skin irritation (37%), and bruising (7%). Those categorized as having poor tolerability (kappa = 0.5 between sessions, p = 0.0003) were more likely to report being in fair/poor health (75% vs 22%, p = 0.01) and have elevated 24-hour BP average (systolic: 28% vs 17%, p = 0.56; diastolic: 30% vs 17%, p = 0.37). They were also more likely to remove the monitor and have inadequate numbers of measurements.ConclusionsThe Oscar 2 ABPM device is straightforward to use but can interfere with sleep. Commonly reported adverse effects include pain, skin irritation, and bruising. Those who tolerate the monitor poorly are more likely to report being in fair or poor health and to remove it, particularly at night.
Highlights
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is increasingly used to measure blood pressure (BP) in research studies
An obvious downside of ambulatory BP monitoring is the potential inconvenience, related to the need to keep the cuff on the arm during the entire measurement period as well as having to wear the monitor unit on the waist during the day and keep it at the bedside at night
Despite the above limitations, it is clear that ambulatory BP monitoring using current devices, including the
Summary
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is increasingly used to measure blood pressure (BP) in research studies. The evidence for the clinical utility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) continues to accumulate. The Oscar 2 (SunTech Medical, Morrisville, NC) ambulatory BP monitor, in addition to being light and compact, uses motion tolerant algorithms to reduce re-inflates and failed readings. It has an additional feature (auto-intelligent inflation pressure) designed to reduce measurement time and reduce patient discomfort by controlling cuff inflation. We assessed tolerability of wearing the Oscar 2 ambulatory BP monitor among a group of adults not yet diagnosed with hypertension who participated in a research project. A unique feature of our study is that participants wore the monitors on two occasions and they reported on their experiences after each monitoring session
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
