Evaluation of the Del Mar Avionics automatic ambulatory blood pressure-recording device.

We have the opportunity to evaluate a portable ambulatory device for the recording of sequential indirect arterial blood pressure and continuous electrocardiogram (Del Mar Avionics automatic ambulatory blood pressure recording device). With careful attention to technique, only 11% of systolic and 5% of diastolic blood pressure readings differed by more than 10 mm Hg as compared with a trained technician's observations simultaneously in the same arm. The device has been useful in the evaluation of borderline (labile) hypertension, hypertensive drug therapy programs, and various episodic cardiovascular phenomena--for example, vasodepressor syncope and pheochromocytoma crises.