Prediction of arterial blood pressure in the premature neonate using the oscillometric method
J. A. Wareham, L. D. Haugh, S. B. Yeager and J. D. Horbar
The noninvasive oscillometric measurement of blood pressure (BP) in preterm
neonates has become a common practice in intensive care nurseries. The
method has gained acceptance primarily through its correlation with direct
arterial measurement. In this study, the oscillometric method (using
Dinamap 1846) was compared with direct intra-arterial BP monitoring in 15
preterm infants. The 95% prediction intervals for individual oscillometric
measurements were wide, ranging from 17 mm Hg for the mean BP to 20 mm Hg
for the systolic and diastolic BP. The oscillometric method also
underestimated intra-arterial systolic and mean BP and overestimated
diastolic BP. Caution must be used when oscillometrically measuring BP in
premature neonates.
