Three methods of taking the brachial systolic pressure to measure the ankle/brachial index: which one is best?

This study was designed to determine which method of measuring the brachial systolic blood pressure is most accurate when determining the ankle/brachial index (ABI). The accuracy of the stethoscope diaphragm was compared with the accuracy of the stethoscope bell and Doppler methods in measuring the brachial systolic pressure. These pressures were used in the calculation of the ABI, and then the ABI was compared by method and time since surgery. The sample consisted of 31 subjects who had peripheral arterial bypass surgery. The findings of this study indicate that there is no significant difference in the ABI when the brachial systolic blood pressure is measured by any of the three methods. A difference was found between the right-arm and left-arm brachial systolic pressures in many of the patients, and this would make a difference in the calculation of the ABI.