Accuracy of indirect oscillometric blood pressure measurement in anesthetized neonatal foals

Abstract

Abstract To obtain the arterial blood pressure in horses several techniques and devices can be used. Every technique and device having its own advantages and disadvantages. In this study the Microlife BP A100 Plus with Philips cuff M1872B size 4 is being analyzed. As participants on this study we used foals which were undergoing surgery or were staying in the intensive care unit. The foals undergoing surgery participated in the part of the study that analyses the accuracy of the blood pressure device. The foals staying in the intensive care unit participated in the part of the study that intended to investigate the blood pressure varieties in critical care foals during the day. Statistical analysis revealed the device to be inaccurate for blood pressure measurements. There seems to be an overestimation of the systolic and diastolic pressure with a low accuracy and a low repeatability. However, for measuring the heart frequency (pulse rate) the device seems to be both accurate and a precise in anesthetized foals. The data collected from the foals in the intensive care unit was not further analyzed due to the performance of the device. The advice of the authors is not to use the Microlife BPA 100 plus oscillometric blood pressure device in combination with the Philips M1872B #4 cuff to obtain blood pressure values in foals.