Concordance Between Automated and Manual Blood Pressure Measurement: A Systematic Review

Background: The traditional procedure of manual blood pressure measurement suffers from variations introduced by responsible observers. Although automated blood pressure devices provide easy operation they might create unreliable results. The extent of agreement between these two methods continues to create disagreement among experts.

Objective: The research delves into an evaluation of blood pressure measurement comparisons between automated and manual techniques regarding reliability along with their medical implications.

Methods: A comprehensive database search took place through PubMed and Embase and Cochrane Library for studies that analyzed BP results from manual and automated procedures. This review included three categories of studies such as randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews. The researchers performed statistical analysis to identify BP mean differences together with calculating correlation coefficients and creating Bland-Altman plots.

Results:

The automated devices demonstrated significant overestimations of systolic blood pressure readings that reached statistical significance (p < 0.05) according to research findings.

• The minimal difference in diastolic BP readings was statistically confirmed (p = 0.72) which indicates strong agreement between methods.
• The precise measurement of BP was affected by three clinical variables: atrial fibrillation and device calibration and cuff placement positioning.
• Medical researchers discovered that automated blood pressure monitors showed excellent safety and reliability when used for specific patient demographics (therapeutic thrombolysis patients) and others.

Automated BP monitors demonstrate high correlation but systematic differences from manual measurements, particularly for systolic BP. Clinical discretion is needed when using automated devices for hypertension diagnosis and treatment. Further research should establish standardized measurement protocols to improve reliability.