Effect of Elevated Ambient Temperature on Simulator-Derived Oscillometric Blood Pressure Measurement

Abstract

Background: Oscillometric blood pressure (BP) devices are typically labeled for use up to 40 °C. Many geographic regions have ambient temperatures exceeding 40 °C. We assessed the effect of increased ambient temperature (40-55 °C) on simulator-derived oscillometric BP measurement.

Methods: Three Omron BP769CAN devices, 3 A&D Medical UA-651BLE devices, and accompanying cuffs were used. A custom heat chamber heated each device to the specified temperature. A noninvasive BP simulator was used to take 3 measurements with each device at differing temperatures (22, 40, 45, 50, and 55 °C) and BP thresholds: 80/50, 100/60, 120/80, 140/90, 160/110, and 180/130 mm Hg. Using each device as its own control (22 °C), we determined the relative differences in mean BP for each device at each temperature and BP setting, assessed graphical trends with increasing temperature, and examined variability.

Results: Graphical trends of mean simulator-subtracted BP differences from room temperature showed no discernable pattern, with differences clustered around zero. Overall mean difference in BP (combined elevated temperatures minus room temperature) was -0.8 ± 2.1 (systolic ± SD)/1.2 ± 3.5 (diastolic ± SD) mm Hg for the A&D device and 0.2 ± 0.4 (systolic ± SD)/-0.1 ± 0.1 (diastolic ± SD) mm Hg for the Omron. All individual elevated temperature differences (elevated temperature minus room temperature) except A&D diastolic BP at 50 °C were within 5 mm Hg.

Conclusions: In this simulator-based study assessing within-device differences, higher ambient temperatures resulted in oscillometric BP measurements that were comparable to those performed at room temperature.

Keywords: ambient temperature; blood pressure; hot climate; hypertension; measurement; oscillometric blood pressure.