Evaluation of the Remler M2000 blood pressure recorder. Comparison with intraarterial blood pressure recordings both at hospital and at home.

Abstract

The Remler M2000 is a semiautomated device that has been used to collect epidemiological data and assess blood pressure variability. It has been subjected to limited evaluation in operation, however, and no studies of its accuracy away from the hospital or office environment have been undertaken. A group of 28 patients with essential hypertension who were undergoing intraarterial ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were recruited and intraarterial recordings were compared with those made with the Remler instrument both at home and in the hospital. The Remler recordings were also compared with simultaneous indirect blood pressure measurements made with the random zero sphygmomanometer. The mean difference between the Remler and intraarterial blood pressure recordings was -3/7 in the hospital and 7/0 at home. All standard deviations were > 10 mm Hg, indicating large between-subject variability. Overall, the relationship of the Remler M2000 readings to intraarterial pressures was as close if not closer than standard indirect sphygmomanometry and thus might provide useful data for epidemiological surveys or drug trials. For accurate measurement of short-term blood pressure variation and 24-h recording, intraarterial recording apparently is the method of choice.