It is still ambiguous that blood pressure measurement with oscillometric sphygmomanometer is comparable to that with mercury sphygmomanometer. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying the differences in blood pressure among these two measurements have not been well understood. We have attempted to examine compatibility of the oscillometric device (HEM─747IC, Omron) and explored the mechanisms for the differences in blood pressure measurements. Fifty healthy young subjects (22 ± 2y) outfitted a cuff on the upper arm. A tube from the cuff is connected to both oscillometric and mercury sphygmomanometer via a Y-tube. The cuff was inflated with the oscillometric sphygmomanometer while auscultatory measurement with mercury sphygmomanometer was simultaneously performed by two skilled nurses during cuff-deflation, which enabled simultaneous ipsilateral measurement. From regression analysis, systolic blood pressures measured with two devices were totally correlated (r＝0.94, slope＝0.98) whereas diastolic pressures were much less correlated (r＝0.80, slope＝0.68). However, certain guideline such as a guideline from Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation would authorize accuracy of this oscillometric sphygmomanometer because the average values of differences between two measurements for systolic and diastolic pressure were only 1.7 ± 4.2 mmHg(mean ± SD) and 4.5 ± 5.2 mmHg, respectively. The diastolic pressure difference was found to correlate significantly with diastolic pressure, heart rate and pulse pressure. A diastolic pressure measured with the oscillometric device tends to be greater when diastolic pressure per se is lower, or heart rate is increased, or pulse pressure is greater. This phenomenon may attributed to a tendency of this device to measure Korotkoff' s 4th point when the vascular sound is more changing because of greater stroke volume and/or lowered peripheral vascular resistance. Inasmuch as this tendency, it is recommended for the nurse to review the self-monitored blood pressure of the clients on regular basis.

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　Influence of Softy, a mildly acidic skin cleanser containing synthetic pseudo-ceramide on elderly skin was studied. 16 nursing home residents and 5 physically independent old-age home residents, whose contents were obtained, were asked to use Softy for 3 weeks as a cleanser of their body when they took a bath. The moisture level and, pH of the skin surfaces of the forearm, the total amount of ceramide in stratum corneum, of the lower leg, and the number of resident bacteria and dermatological findings of the forearm and lower leg after using Softy were compared with those before usage.
　As a result, increase in skin moisture, decline of skin pH, decrease in number of resident bacteria and improvement of dermatological findings were observed and these changes were more prominent in old-age home residents that took a bath almost daily than in nursing home residents that took a bath twice a week. Therefore, these finding were thought to be caused by Softy. For the mechanism for these improvement of skin condition by Softy, it is suggested that keeping skin pH mildly acidic by washing with Softy resulted in improvement of barrier and moisture function and prevention of bacterial overgrowth and that lower irritation to skin of Softy also play a role to maintain skin function.
　 However, a discrepancy was observed between skin condition and the total amount of ceramide, as it decreased after using Softy. Therefore, further investigation on the underlying mechanisms, such as changes in the turn over and types of ceramide, is required.

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[in Japanese]

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