Indirect blood pressure measurement in the dog.

The validity of the ultrasonic Doppler technic for indirectly measuring arterial blood pressure over a wide range was tested in anesthetized dogs. Correlation coefficents of 0.99 and 0.97 for systolic and diastolic pressure were verified on the basis of 316 comparisons of direct and indirect measurements. Utility of the method for detecting hypotensive, normotensive, and hypertensive arterial blood pressures was demonstrated. Potential applications of the method by life scientists and veterinarians includes routine monitoring of anesthesia, characterization of disease, and documentation of pharmacologic states.