Can you recommend a reliable blood pressure monitor?

fro9etb8j5qsl2

I need a bp monitor that's fairly accurate and reliable. I have an omron m2 but I find it useless, it gives very erratic readings and half the time doesn't work at all even though I am using it properly and have checked batteries etc. Can someone recommend a good one? Thanks

sleepyheadh

The best thing to get would be to go on to medisave, and order a cheap littman and a pressure cuff. As accurate as you like!

sleepyheadh

the cuffs are 13e and the littmans will run you somewhere between 30e for a nursing one, or 50e for a classic II.

You would be looking at a total of roughly 60e.. as good as you are going to get in the GP's!

WildRosie

While it may be more accurate in the hands of a skilled user, a sphyg and stethoscope is useless to someone who doesn't know how to take a manual BP, i.e. most of the population that doesn't work in healthcare. It's also pretty awkward taking a manual BP on yourself.

OP, we've a rake of those omron ones in work and they're useless, readings are always erratic. I don't know of any units for use in the home that I'd recommend. If you haven't already, maybe go on to amazon and read through the reviews on the various different ones.

sleepyheadh

WildRosie wrote: »

While it may be more accurate in the hands of a skilled user, a sphyg and stethoscope is useless to someone who doesn't know how to take a manual BP, i.e. most of the population that doesn't work in healthcare. It's also pretty awkward taking a manual BP on yourself.

OP, we've a rake of those omron ones in work and they're useless, readings are always erratic. I don't know of any units for use in the home that I'd recommend. If you haven't already, maybe go on to amazon and read through the reviews on the various different ones.

Using a sphyg and a cuff is hardly a difficult task. Max of a few minutes of reading about korotkoff sounds and it is literally easy as pie. Meanwhile those automatic ones that are available for commercial use are literally as useless as an ash tray on a motorbike.

Nonoperational

You're saying something like an Omron M3 is useless? I disagree. Do you have any evidence to back up this or are you just posting random statements for fun?

To be honest your suggestion that a layperson with no experience or training start measuring their BP with a sphyg and steth is a pretty poor suggestion.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738367

0lddog

OP, you might still find one of these knocking about one of their shops.

http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/www_lidl_ie/hs.xsl/Offers.htm?action=showDetail&id=9128

not a recco., never used ( or even seen ) a unit

Look into Ts & Cs ( most of this sort of stuff from them has a 3 year warranty - maybe this does too )

sleepyheadh

Nonoperational wrote: »

You're saying something like an Omron M3 is useless? I disagree. Do you have any evidence to back up this or are you just posting random statements for fun?

To be honest your suggestion that a layperson with no experience or training start measuring their BP with a sphyg and steth is a pretty poor suggestion.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738367

Using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope is easy. Have you any experience in using one? What problems would you foresee in a "lay" person running in to?

In regard to the random statements i'm spouting for fun - a sphygmomanometer from Aldi or lidl will be crap, and you know it. Of course, you can buy extremely reliable sphygmomanometers that are electronic and automatic. But the Op was looking for a cheapish one that would be reliable. With the Manual you don't gave to worry about batteries or anything. And besides that bp measurements is so simple any child could do it.

sleepyheadh

Nonoperational wrote: »

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738367

Ok I'm sure that the Op would be more than willing to pay $900 for a bptru that they used in that study. But yeah thanks for the study very helpful!

Nonoperational

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope is easy. Have you any experience in using one? What problems would you foresee in a "lay" person running in to?

In regard to the random statements i'm spouting for fun - a sphygmomanometer from Aldi or lidl will be crap, and you know it. Of course, you can buy extremely reliable sphygmomanometers that are electronic and automatic. But the Op was looking for a cheapish one that would be reliable. With the Manual you don't gave to worry about batteries or anything. And besides that bp measurements is so simple any child could do it.

Yes, many many times. Thanks.

I've made my point, but stand by my conviction that suggesting people that have never used a steth or cuff before to buy them instead of a clinically validated automatic device isn't great advice. To be frank, most people just wouldn't be bothered using them.

As for the study I posted, there are similar studies for cheap Omron machines too.

Hypertension will be confirmed by formal ambulatory or home BP measurement anyway. Many GP surgeries use Omron machines now, they are really quite good.

sleepyheadh

Just out of curiosity have you ever used a stethoscope and sphyg before? Do you know how to take a bp?

The op has already said that they found the omron device worse than useless, so I don't think that advising them to buy one is a good idea.

Nonoperational

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Just out of curiosity have you ever used a stethoscope and sphyg before? Do you know how to take a bp?

The op has already said that they found the omron device worse than useless, so I don't think that advising them to buy one is a good idea.

I'm a doctor.

sleepyheadh

Nonoperational wrote: »

I'm a doctor.

Great Perfect, So how long did you spend in med school learning how to take a BP reading?

Just to let you know, in TCD its a 10min demonstration at the start of a lab one day in 1st year.

gctest50

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Great Perfect, So how long did you spend in med school learning how to take a BP reading?

Just to let you know, in TCD its a 10min demonstration at the start of a lab one day in 1st year.

OT - but out of interest
- how long did they spend showing how to use a glucometer ?

sleepyheadh

gctest50 wrote: »

OT - but out of interest
- how long did they spend showing how to use a glucometer ?

Why?

Nonoperational

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Great Perfect, So how long did you spend in med school learning how to take a BP reading?

Just to let you know, in TCD its a 10min demonstration at the start of a lab one day in 1st year.

Look man we'll just agree to disagree here. I'd be in favour of an decent automatic machine for the general public, you'd be in favour of a sphyg and cuff. Different opinions and all that.

sleepyheadh

Nonoperational wrote: »

Look man we'll just agree to disagree here. I'd be in favour of an decent automatic machine for the general public, you'd be in favour of a sphyg and cuff. Different opinions and all that.

Cool sounds good..it would be interested if the op chimed in.

medicine12345

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Great Perfect, So how long did you spend in med school learning how to take a BP reading?

Just to let you know, in TCD its a 10min demonstration at the start of a lab one day in 1st year.

No sleepyheadh, you practice it again in clinical skills in 2nd year. No way should a member of the general public buy a sphyg and steth and try to use it on themselves.... Even many GPs just use an automatic one now.

gctest50

sleepyheadh wrote: »

Why?

Saw a newbie do all the wrong things with one - wondering what could have led to that

sleepyheadh

medicine12345 wrote: »

No sleepyheadh, you practice it again in clinical skills in 2nd year. No way should a member of the general public buy a sphyg and steth and try to use it on themselves.... Even many GPs just use an automatic one now.

Jesus Christ.. It's not rocket science it's taken a bp reading - I'm not telling him to perform surgery on themselves. You don't have to be a doctor or a med student to use a sphyg.. The "general public" are quite intelligent just like you and more than capable of following instructions.

If you read what this topic was about the op was looking for a reliable way to measure bp. They had tried electronic ones and doesn't want to spend a fortune. Yes, it would be great if the op went out and spent a couple of hundred on a electronic one, but I think if you are just looking for a rough guide to your bp then using a sphyg is perfectly good. You can get self-use ones on medisave! In my opinion it's much better to have someone using an accurate method of measuring bp, rather then going to Aldi or lidl and buying a 40e one that is inaccurate. If people use these cheap ones, they are less likely to act if a significant reading shows up.

Day Lewin

@OP - I used to have a really useless one for the wrist that I bought from a small ad - possibly the Irish Times, back in the day.

then I got one in Boots at Holyhead, it's an arm cuff and a readout screeny thing and it has worked really well for 4 years; (I had high BP at the time; and anytime I've compared, this gadget agreed with my doc and his sphygmo pretty well)

Its actually Boots own brand and made in China: I am really very pleased with this and still take an occasional reading just to keep a watchful eye LOL and it continues to work just fine.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Tbh, I wouldn't feel very comfortable taking my own bp using the sphyg/cuff. I haven't great coordination or patience and I would more than likely become flustered which would in turn cause my bp to rise and defeat the whole purpose

The monitor I have is the omron m2, not sure what the difference between the m2 and m3 are or whether the m3 would be more reliable? I checked Amazon and the omron monitors have gotten great reviews but I remain skeptical....