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Blood Pressure Monitors
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| Pocket and Palm Aneriods | PRO's Combo Sets | Multicuff Sets | ||
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| Clock Face Aneroids | Mercury Sphyg Sets | Automatic Home BP Units | ||
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| Cuffs | Guages | Cuff and Bladders | ||
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| Baum Inflation Sets | ||||
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Information below provided by American Diagnostic Corporation How do I know if my blood pressure monitor or mercurial blood pressure monitor is out of calibration? Blood pressure monitor utilize mechanical gears and a mechanical linkage which can wear out or be knocked out of calibration. ADC blood pressure monitor are designed to provide a visual indication of accuracy. ADC's blood pressure monitoraneroid will require re-calibration if the indicator needle is outside the oval at the bottom of the dial. Unfortunately, when the needle is inside the oval, you can't be absolutely sure that the blood pressure gauge is in calibration, unless it is a brand new unit from a reputable manufacturer (that's because blood pressure gauges can be tampered with - some more easily than others). As such, it's a good idea to periodically test the blood pressure gauge against a unit of known accuracy, or return the unit to ADC for complimentary testing. How often you should perform these accuracy tests depends on many factors, but in general, once a year should be sufficient. Mercurial blood pressure monitor utilize gravity, and other than the mercury itself there are no moving parts. So, there is nothing to wear out. A properly designed mercury blood pressure monitor will be in calibration as long as the meniscus (top of the mercury column) rests within 3mmHg of the zero point with no pressure applied (inflation system should be detached since it might contain residual air). Mercury blood pressure monitors do require some maintenance to remain in tip-top shape. Since mercury will evaporate, a small amount might need to be added to the instrument from time to time. Additionally, mercury will oxidize leaving a residual gray deposit on the inside of the cartridge tube. This should be swabbed away using alcohol applied to a pipe cleaner. Once a year or so, the damping filters and kidskin diaphragm located in the top cap above the cartridge tube should be replaced. ADC provides self maintenance manuals with every mercury blood pressure monitor purchased. Of course, ADC will perform complimentary maintenance on any ADC mercurial blood pressure monitor when returned postage paid to their repair facility. The term "certified" is printed on some blood pressure monitoraneroid dials. What does this mean? It depends on the manufacturer. In ADC's case, it indicates that the blood pressure gauge has been produced and tested to meet the U.S. Accuracy Standard of +/- 3 mmHg. This certification is ADC's pledge and your guarantee for an accurate reading. Why is it important to have latex-free products? Latex sensitivity is a serious problem for both patients and healthcare workers. It is estimated that 7% of the general population and up to 17% of healthcare workers are latex sensitive, with reactions ranging from mild skin irritation to anaphylactic shock. ALL ADC stethoscopes and virtually ALL ADC products EXCEPT sphygmomanometers are 100% LATEX-FREE. There are just three components on a sphygmomanometer that were traditionally made from latex - the inflation bladder (contained inside the cuff), the inflation bulb and the coiled tubing (used on some models). All other components of am ADC blood pressure monitor are ALWAYS latex-free. ADC listened to the emerging needs of the market and has produced a comprehensive line of latex-free blood pressure monitors and accessories. In their latex-free professional line, the bladder, bulb and coiled tubing are made from neoprene, a synthetic material with the performance characteristics of latex. To facilitate identification, these components are produced in a distinctive terracotta coloration. ADC produces over 200 different latex-free blood pressure instruments and replacement parts. Is blood pressure cuff size important? Very. Incorrect sizing could lead to measurement error when the mis-sized blood pressure cuff fails to properly compress the brachial artery. Blood pressure cuff size is determined by the size of the bladder, also known as the inflation bag. According to AHA and ANSI standards the bladder should measure at least 50% of the intended limb circumference in length. The bladder width should measure at least 40% of its length. The blood pressure cuff itself should then be designed AND marked to encourage or even restrict use to the limb circumference established by its bladder. ADC manufacturers 6 standard series blood pressure cuff sizes designed to accommodate limbs from about 3.9 in (10 cm) to 25.5 in (65.5 cm), all with overlapping ranges. ADC's Size Guide Marking System helps prevent mis-cuffing. Most manufacturers utilize a generic size naming system - such as newborn, adult, child, etc. Since there are no standards to define the specific limb range for a particular generic size, some manufacturer's, including ADC, also indicate the specific limb range in centimeters right on the cuff. ADC also produces single patient use (spu) blood pressure cuffs in a neonatal series designed to accommodate limbs from 1.2 in to 15.6 in (3cm to 40cm). What's so special about the ADCUFF? ADCUFF is the trademarked name for ADC's line of professional blood pressure monitor cuffs, inflation bladders, and SPU (single patient use)blood pressure cuffs . The ADCUFF was carefully designed to balance the requirements of ANSI/AAMI SP10 and AHA recommendations while combining the real-world needs of their customers. Bladders are designed to encircle a minimum of 50% of the maximum limb circumference for which they were intended in order to ensure proper compression of the brachial (or femoral) artery. Bladder width is no less than 40% of bladder length. Bladders are made from either dip molded latex, or latex-free neoprene and are seamless in construction. Each is marked with the ADC part number and its generic size to facilitate identification and re-order. They are produced in 6 standard sizes, with one or two tube configurations. ADC provides extra long 55cm tubing (reusable models) for convenience. Reusable ADCUFFs incorporate the following features, many of which are proprietary: Fabricated from 210 denier nylon in up to 12 colors - durable but comfortable. Sewn with 11 threads per inch. Hook and loop adhesive designed to withstand a minimum of 30,000 open close cycles (many low priced imports use inferior adhesive that wears quickly) Artery mark on both inside and outside of blood pressure cuff properly indicate bladder midpoint in accordance with ANSI recommendations (many blood pressure cuffs on the market have a mis-positioned or misleading two arrow artery mark) Blood pressure Guage hang tab to facilitate use with pocket aneroid (some competitive blood pressure cuffs are designed for use ONLY with mercurial instruments) Size Guide System marking system. Indicates applicable limb range and warns if larger or smaller blood pressure cuff is needed. Bladder flap secures bladder within blood pressure cuff and prevents bulging during inflation, or separation from blood pressure cuff when used with mobile or wall mounted blood pressure monitors "Property of" tag facilitates marking for better stock control. Two year UNCONDITIONAL warranty. Most blood pressure monitors look alike. How can I tell the difference and why should I choose an ADC brand blood pressure monitor? It is often difficult to tell the difference between competing brands of blood pressure monitor. With retail prices from as little as $10 to nearly $100 for a simple pocket blood pressure monitor, and appearances so similar, it can be tempting to select the least expensive brands. Today, most blood pressure monitor are completely manufactured in China or Indonesia by firms with no formal affiliation with their U.S. distributors. In fact, many U.S. importers change suppliers every six months in response to lower prices from competing foreign manufacturers. That results in products of questionable quality and virtually no consistency. Only a handful of manufacturers still produce their products in the U.S.A. Components for ADC's blood pressure monitors are produced exclusively for ADC by some of the world's most experienced ISO 9000 subcontractors under long term contract. In addition, ADC employs a rigorous QC process using proprietary test equipment, prior to final assembly in the U.S.A. to ensure strict compliance to ANSI/AAMI SP10 standards OR better. ADC produces blood pressure monitorswith an MSRP from $20 to $60, palm and multicuff blood pressure monitors from $90 to $200, clock blood pressure monitorsfrom $100 to $200, and mercury blood pressure monitors from $70 to $200. Each and every one subjected to dozens of inspections prior to final assembly in the U.S.A. A blood pressure monitor is both a vital instrument for the measurement of a critical vital sign and a long term investment. Choose the model that makes the most sense for your requirements and budget as much as you can afford. Then select the ADC model that best fits your needs. Why do the readings on my digital blood pressure monitor vary? A variety of reasons. First of all, blood pressure itself is a dynamic rather than static vital sign. Both systolic and diastolic pressures can vary from 10mmHg to 20mmHg or more throughout the course of the day. BP is generally lower in the morning and increases throughout the day. Eating, drinking, smoking, exercise and even talking all influence blood pressure. Instrument repeatability will also result in measurement variance. As an example, if the digital blood pressure monitor has a stated tolerance of 3% and you measured your blood pressure at the morning when it was 120/70 and the evening when it was 130/80, the digital blood pressure monitor might read 115/68 for the morning read, and 135/83 for the evening read. The initial impression is that the pressure varied by nearly 20mmHg when in fact, part of the variance was due to normal fluctuations in BP, and in part was due the tolerances of the digital blood pressure monitor. For best results, you should measure your blood pressure at the same time each day, preferably first thing every morning. If time permits, take three readings, each 5 minutes apart. If any one reading looks out of line, discard it. Otherwise average the results and record the average of the three (or two if one was discarded). Doing this will smooth out the readings and produce more consistent and meaningful results. ADC's 6014, 6016 and 6017 digital blood pressure monitor feature an average mode setting that will automatically display the average of 3 successive readings. How do I know if my digital blood pressure monitoris accurate? ADC digital blood pressure monitor have a pressure sensor self test that is activated each time you power on the instrument. If the microprocessor detects anything wrong with either the pressure sensor or the chip that analyzes the readings, an error message will be displayed BEFORE measurement. If the unit beeps and displays 0, you can be confident in the instrument's accuracy. Which is more accurate - a manual home blood pressure monitor, digital blood pressure monitor with arm cuff, or wrist blood pressure monitor? Tough question! When measured by a trained professional, following AHA recommendations for blood pressure measurement, a manual instrument will produce very accurate results. Today, home digital BP monitors are VERY accurate, but they do have limitations. Because the algorithms used to calculate blood pressure are based on a limited number of clinical observations, there are people for whom digital units simply will not work. Severely obese patients, those with advanced arthrosclerosis, severe diabetics, or those with a difficult to detect pulse are not good candidates for digital monitors. Wrist models, while the MOST convenient to use, and extremely portable, are often held either above or below heart level resulting in readings of questionable accuracy. All things considered, we recommend an arm or wrist based automatic blood pressure instrument. |
