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Shah NC, Sibbritt DW, Heaney S, et al. Sphygmomanometers--an audit in general practice. Aust Fam Physician. 2004;33(11):952-4
Shah, N. C., Sibbritt, D. W., Heaney, S., & Sharples, J. (2004). Sphygmomanometers--an audit in general practice. Australian family physician, 33(11), 952-4.
Shah, Nayankumar C, et al. "Sphygmomanometers--an audit in general practice." Australian family physician vol. 33,11 (2004): 952-4.
Shah NC, Sibbritt DW, Heaney S, Sharples J. Sphygmomanometers--an audit in general practice. Aust Fam Physician. 2004 Nov;33(11):952-4. PMID: 15584340.
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Aust Fam Physician. 2004 Nov;33(11):952-4.

Sphygmomanometers--an audit in general practice.

Australian family physician

Nayankumar C Shah, David W Sibbritt, Susan Heaney, Jan Sharples

Affiliations

  1. Discipline of General Practice, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales. [email protected]

PMID: 15584340

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of sphygmomanometers used in Australian general practice is unknown but potentially important.

METHOD: We measured the accuracy of sphygmomanometers in general practice in the Hunter region of New South Wales using a gold standard. Practices were recruited by an advertisement in the division newsletter.

RESULTS: Sixty practices (35%) volunteered. A total of 404 instruments were checked. Over 95% of sphygmomanometers were within 4 mmHg of gold standard sphygmomanometer across the clinical pressure range. Mercury sphygmomanometers were more accurate than aneroid (p<0.01). There was no significant association between accuracy and age, calibration, or visual inspection of the instruments.

DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated a high accuracy rate of the sphygmomanometers checked, especially those sphygmomanometers that were mercury.

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