Timing and Patient Position During Cuff Blood Pressure Measurement Affect Myocardial Work Parameters Measured by Echocardiography.

BACKGROUND

Although cuff blood pressure measurement is a critical parameter to calculate myocardial work noninvasively, there is no recommendation about when and how to measure it. Accordingly, we sought to evaluate the effects of the timing during the echo study and the patient's position on the scanning bed during the cuff blood pressure measurement on myocardial work parameter calculations.

METHODS

One hundred one consecutive patients (44 women, 66 ± 14 years) undergoing clinically indicated echocardiography were prospectively enrolled. During the echocardiographic study, we measured the cuff blood pressure 4 times, using a fully automatic digital blood pressure monitor applied to the right and left arm in the same position throughout the study: BP1, before the start of the echo study, with the patient lying in the supine position; BP2, after positioning the patients on their left side to start the echo study; BP3, at the time of the acquisition of the 3 apical views (4- and 2-chamber and long-axis) used to measured left ventricular global longitudinal strain; and BP4, at the end of the echo study with the patient again in the supine position.

RESULTS

Systolic blood pressureat BP1 was 147 ± 21 mm Hg. Between BP1 and BP2, it dropped by 17 ± 9 mm Hg (P < .05). Systolic blood pressure at BP3 was significantly lower than BP2 (130 ± 20 mm Hg vs 122 ± 18 mm Hg, P < .05), and at BP4 was significantly lower than at BP1 (-9 ± 13 mm Hg, P < .05). The average global longitudinal strain was -16% ± 3%. Accordingly, the global work index was 1,929 ± 441 mm Hg% at BP1, dropped to 1,717 ± 421 at BP2, decreased to 1,602 ± 351 mm Hg% at BP3, and increased to 1,815 ± 386 mm Hg% at BP4 (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The timing during the echocardiography study and the patient's position on the scanning bed are critical determinants of the measured cuff systolic blood pressure and the resulting values of myocardial work parameters.