抄録
In the clinical setting, blood pressure measurement with mercury sphygmomanometer may often be disturbed during tucking up of the sleeves. Tendency of such errors in various studies, however, is not consistent. In the present study, we attempt to clarify the mechanism of disturbed blood pressure measurement using controlled-constriction method. Bilateral simultaneous blood pressure measurement on bilateral upper arms by two experts using sphygmomanometers were carried out after confirmation of similarity of bilateral blood pressures in healthy female subjects (n=16, 21±1 yr). In the measurement, one of the upper arms was constricted with a band by 1cm or 2cm shorter than circumference of upper arm at the axillary level. There were no statistical significance between control values and the values obtained from the arm of 1cm-constriction. However, during 2cm constriction, systolic pressure at constricted arm was measured 105±7 mmHg that was significantly lower than the control value (108±7 mmHg) and diastolic pressure at constricted arm was 69±8 mmHg that was higher (p<0.05) than the control (66±7 mmHg). These results suggest that constriction of upper arm may increase the space of Windkessel in the pre-constriction region of the arteries where more blood of stroke volume is stored during systole, which leads to the lower systolic pressure measurement. Subsequently, the more blood is flowing from the Windkessel during diastole, which leads to the higher diastolic pressure measurement. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S111]
