How To Take Blood Pressure

Monitoring Methods

I’m going to talk just a little bit today about methods for taking blood pressure. When we think about methods of taking blood pressure, it breaks down into two categories: Invasive and non-invasive. Invasive methods of taking blood pressure, non-invasive methods of taking blood pressure. Now, when we think about invasive ways of taking blood pressure, what we’re talking about is inserting a cannula into a blood vessel and connecting that then to an electronic pressure transducer.

An electronic pressure transducer reading the blood pressure as it comes from the cannula inserted into the blood vessel. Now, where this is primarily done is in ICUs, anesthesiology, and research where you need very accurate results. Invasive methods of taking blood pressure are the most accurate means of obtaining blood pressure.

Obviously, it’s critical when you’re an anesthesiologist dealing with the patient during a procedure or a surgery, things like this in an ICU, critical situation there, and also for research where you need the results to be very accurate for the research. Complications, though, from invasive methods of blood pressure include infection.

You are inserting something from the outside into the interior of the body, into it directly into a blood vessel. Infections are possible, and, of course, bleeding is possible. It is more painful for the patient if they’re awake while this is happening, because, once again, it’s inserted into the body. Things to remember on invasive methods of taking blood pressure: It’s most accurate.

Complications include infections and bleeding. Most common areas where an invasive method would be used would be an intensive care unit, anesthesiology, and research. It involves inserting a cannula into a blood vessel and connecting that to an electronic pressure transducer. Then we will conclude with the second category of methods for taking blood pressure, which are non-invasive methods.

Primarily an arm cuff is what we’re thinking about here, although there would be others. It’s an external means. No invasion of the body whatsoever. An external means of monitoring blood pressure. Things to remember under non-invasive methods of taking blood pressure are that it is less accurate. It is less accurate. Not that much less accurate, but it is less accurate. It is also much less painful for the patient.

Therefore, if it’s not critical, like you find in one of these areas here, then, obviously, a non-invasive method would be best. It’s more comfort for the patient, less painful for them, and the lack of accuracy in these contexts is not that critical. Places it would be used would be things like in a typical doctor’s office when you’re just trying to get the baseline basics of their stats (blood pressure is included in that), and also home monitoring of blood pressure.

External means is obviously indicated there (arm cuff monitor of some sort). The good news about non-invasive methods of taking blood pressure is that there are no complications. There is no risk of infection, no risk of bleeding or anything like that. It’s just merely wrapped around the arm, or wherever, for a brief period of time while the blood pressure is taken. These are the things to keep in mind.

The two categories for methods of taking blood pressure: Invasive, not invasive. Under invasive, remember most accurate. Remember that there are complications possible of infection and bleeding and that it’s used usually in areas such as intensive care, anesthesiology, and research. Non-invasive, less accurate but not much so, much less painful, no complications, standard areas where it’s used is doctor’s office and home.