Blood pressure monitoring – PMS Instruments

Undiagnosed High Blood Pressure – The Silent Killer

According to new estimates produced by The British Heart Foundation, four million people under the age of 65 in the UK are living with untreated high blood pressure with further analysis finding that 1.3 million of these people are under the age of 45.

As well as significantly raising the risk of heart attack and stroke, it can also be the cause of an increased risk of vascular dementia, raised cholesterol and diabetes.

Getting your blood pressure under control is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Checking your own blood pressure with an A&D Medical clinically validated BP monitor is an easy and inexpensive way to understand if you are one of the millions of people across the UK living with undiagnosed high blood pressure and giving you the information needed to get the correct treatment and advice.

Taking a blood pressure reading takes less than 5 minutes and can be done in the comfort of your own home not just in a doctor’s surgery or pharmacy.

Many people assume that high blood pressure is generally associated with older, overweight or unfit people. Though these conditions can lead to a high risk of heart attack and stroke, many people with an active lifestyle can also fall victim to this silent killer.

A considerable number of young people in the UK aged 16 to 24 unknowingly have risky high blood pressure too.

Stessful workplace environments are a major cause of high blood pressure with busy people all too easily putting the issue to the back of their minds.

Ordering an A&D Medical clinically validated BP monitor and getting your blood pressure under control is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

With waiting lists at an all time high and the NHS under more pressure than ever before, acting now could give you the greatest opportunity to receive the life-saving treatmment you may need.

PMS Instruments stock a vast range of blood pressure monitors with different cuffs sizes to suit every individual.

So don’t become a statistic, order yours today and give yourself the best chance of taking the necessary steps to avoid long-term harm.

Why Buy A Clinically Validated Blood Pressure Monitor?

The sales team at PMS often get asked the same questions from customers wanting to purchase a blood pressure monitor. Questions like which one would you recommend and which is the best one we sell will depend on the features a user is looking for and their budget.

One question we are always happy to answer is “What does clinical validation mean?”

Many customers are familiar with the CE mark on consumer electrical items.

Medical devices like blood pressure monitors must also have a CE mark by law. The CE mark means that, provided you use it correctly, the device will work properly and is safe but doesn’t mean it will necessarily give accurate readings or that it is clinically validated.

Whether you are going to record your blood pressure at home or in a clinical setting surely accuracy is the whole point of buying a monitor in the first place!

When a manufacturer like Meditech or A&D Medical state their product is “clinically validated” it means an independent validation of the device has been performed by a professional group

The most common validation protocols are the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS), formerly British Hypertension Society, the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol (ESH-IP), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

While each of the protocols may have many similarities, there are some differences in their testing requirements. In many cases, however, a product that passes one protocol may also satisfy the criteria of other protocols as well. Recently, the AAMI, ESH, and ISO experts agreed to develop a single universally acceptable standard (AAMI/ESH/ISO), which will replace all previous protocols.

Often, the clinical validation report is published in a peer-reviewed journal like Blood Pressure Monitoring. Publication in a peer-reviewed journal is essential because of the rigorous review processes a clinical validation must go through to make sure there are no protocol violations and the chosen validation protocol has been adhered to.

The time and conditions demanded by the various protocols are extremely difficult to fulfil as a large number of subjects have to be recruited, a wide range of blood pressures are required and it can be difficult to recruit skilled staff . They can also be expensive.

There is a great overview of the detailed process involved from the Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring of the European Society of Hypertension here.

For these reasons not every blood pressure manufacturer will conduct a clinical validation.

PMS Instruments only distribute blood pressure monitors from manufacturers that do. Clinical validation provides so much more than a CE mark!

Whether you are a healthcare professional, or someone looking to keep a check on their blood pressure at home a clinically validated blood pressure monitor from Meditech or A&D Medical gives you the confidence to know you’re using a reliable, accurate device to make a clinical decision.

A&D Medical clinical validation studies

Validation of the A&D UM-211 device for office blood pressure measurement according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010
Fania, Claudio; Albertini, Federica; Palatini, Paolo
Blood Pressure Monitoring, October 2017,22(5):302-305

Validation of the A&D UM-201 device for office blood pressure measurement according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol Revision 2010
Fania, Claudio; Albertini, Federica; Palatini, Paolo
Blood Pressure Monitoring, August 2017,22(4):234-237

Validation of the fully automated A&D TM-2656 blood pressure monitor according to the British Hypertension Society Protocol (equivalent to TM-2657P)
Zeng, Wei-Fang; Liu, Ming; Kang, Yuan-Yuan; Li, Yan; Wang, Ji-Guang
Blood Pressure Monitoring, August 2013,18(4):223-226

Validation of the A&D BP UA-651 device with a wide-range cuff for home blood pressure measurement according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010
Benetti, Elisabetta; Fania, Claudio; Palatini, Paolo
Blood Pressure Monitoring, June 2015,20(3):164-167

Validation of the A&D BP UA-651 device for home blood pressure measurement according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010
Benetti, Elisabetta; Fania, Claudio; Palatini, Paolo
Blood Pressure Monitoring, February 2014,19(1):50-53

Validation of the A&D UA-1020 upper-arm blood pressure monitor with six different-shaped or different-sized cuffs according to the British Hypertension Society protocol
Zeng, Wei-Fang; Kang, Yuan-Yuan; Liu, Ming; Li, Yan; Wang, Ji-Guang
Blood Pressure Monitoring, October 2013,18(5):272-277

Validation of the A&D UA-1020 upper-arm blood pressure monitor for home blood pressure monitoring according to the British Hypertension Society Protocol
Zeng, Wei-Fang; Kang, Yuan-Yuan; Liu, Ming; Li, Yan; Wang, Ji-Guang
Blood Pressure Monitoring, June 2013,18(3):177-181

Validation of A&D UA-778 blood pressure monitor in children
Narogan, Marina V.; Narogan, Marina I.; Syutkina, Elena V.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, October 2009,14(5):228-231

Validation of A&D UA-85X device for blood pressure measurement
Bonso, Elisa; Ragazzo, Fabio; Palatini, Paolo
Blood Pressure Monitoring, December 2008,13(6):339-341

Validation of A&D TM-2430 upper-arm blood pressure monitor for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents, according to the British Hypertension Society protocol
Yip, Gabriel Wai-Kwok; So, Hung-Kwan; Li, Albert Martin; Tomlinson, Brian; Wong, Sik-Nin; Sung, Rita Yn-Tz
Blood Pressure Monitoring, April 2012,17(2):76-79

Validation of the A&D UM-101 professional hybrid device for office blood pressure measurement according to the International Protocol
Stergiou, George S.; Giovas, Periklis P.; Gkinos, Charilaos P.; Tzamouranis, Dimitris G.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, February 2008,13(1):37-42

Meditech clinical studies

Reproducibility of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and measures of autonomic function
Morrin, Niamh M.; Stone, Mark R.; Henderson, Keiran J.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, June 2017,22(3):169-172
Brief Report

Obstructive sleep apnea increases systolic and diastolic blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients
Shi, Jing; Piao, Jingyan; Liu, Bin; Pan, Yujiao; Gong, Yongtai; Deng, Xianzhu; Sun, Weiyan; Lu, Shuang; Li, Yue
Blood Pressure Monitoring, August 2017,22(4):208-212
Clinical Methods and Pathophysiology

The influence of physical training status on postexercise hypotension in patients with hypertension: a cross-sectional study
Imazu, Alexandre A.; Goessler, Karla F.; Casonatto, Juliano; Polito, Marcos D.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, August 2017,22(4):196-201
Clinical Methods and Pathophysiology

Clinical practice of ambulatory versus home blood pressure monitoring in hypertensive patients
Paolasso, Jorge A.; Crespo, Florencia; Arias, Viviana; Moreyra, Eduardo A.; Volmaro, Ariel; Orías, Marcelo; Moreyra, Eduardo Jr
Blood Pressure Monitoring, December 2015,20(6):303-309
Clinical Methods and Pathophysiology

The association of night-time systolic blood pressure with ultrasound markers of subclinical cardiac and vascular disease
O’Flynn, Anne Marie; Ho, Emily; Dolan, Eamon; Curtin, Ronan J.; Kearney, Patricia M.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, February 2017,22(1):18-26
Clinical Methods and Pathophysiology

Myocardial ischemia during everyday life in patients with arterial hypertension: prevalence, risk factors, triggering mechanism and circadian variability
Uen, Sakir; Un, Ismail; Fimmers, Rolf; Vetter, Hans; Mengden, Thomas
Blood Pressure Monitoring, August 2006,11(4):173-182

Development of normative ambulatory blood pressure data in children: Marianne Soergel and the Arbeitsgruppe Pädiatrische Hypertonie
Blood Pressure Monitoring, June-August 1999,4(3):121-126

Making ambulatory blood pressure monitoring accessible in pharmacies
James, Kirstyn; Dolan, Eamon; O’Brien, Eoin
Blood Pressure Monitoring, June 2014,19(3):134-139

Simultaneous recording of blood pressure and ST-segment with combined, triggered ambulatory 24-h devices
Uen, Sakir; Vetter, Hans; Mengden, Thomas
Blood Pressure Monitoring, February 2003,8(1):41-44

Silent myocardial ischaemia in treated hypertensives with and without left ventricular hypertrophy
Stojanovic, Milos M.; O’Brien, Eoin; Lyons, Simon; Stanton, Alice V.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, February 2003,8(1):45-51

The economic case for the AliveCor Kardia Mobile ECG

The AliveCor Kardia Mobile ECG has swiftly become one of our more popular products. If you’ve not yet heard of it, the Kardia Mobile ECG is an incredibly handy and portable ECG monitor that is held in the patient’s hand. The only thing it needs is a smart phone with the Kardia app installed.

Using a single channel ECG monitor with automatic ECG evaluation, it can detect possible Atrial Fibrillation (AF). The smartphone application shows a real-time visualisation of the ECG recording, as well as historical data for comparisons.

The device has been popular for the home market, for those needing to track either their own or a relative’s health. However, there’s a serious economic case for the Kardia Mobile ECG to become a standard for surgeries. If surgeries have access to the mobile ECG, to be able to supply to patients, a lot of time can be saved.

Let’s first look at the current representative pathway for patients presenting with palpitations according to a case study from NHS Coastal West Sussex.

Patient present with palpitations > Sees GP > GP refers > Hospital receives letter > Consultant receives letter > Outpatients > 24hr ECG > Negative Test > Has 7-day ECG > Outpatients and decision > Has 7-day ECG > Outpatient and decision > Consider Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR) > Put on waiting list > Lost to system > Sees GP > GP writes letter > Hospital receives letter.

That’s quite a list, 18 steps in all. Goodness knows the time, resource and cost this entire process could be to the system.

Here’s a potential pathway with the Kardia:

Patient presents with palpitations > Sees GP > GP supplies Kardia Mobile ECG > Symptomatic trace > Sees GP > Advice and management.

Already, you can see where the Kardia Mobile ECG being part of your surgery’s strategy could save valuable time and money. The aforementioned case study does give some idea for the potential savings to be made.

The previously quoted pathway is costed up at £1305, nearly £6000 if the ILR (implantable loop recorder) is included. Whilst all of these steps and the costs suggested might not always be the case, it shows that it could be an expensive process. Taking into consideration that an estimated 2,000,000 people in the UK have Atrial Fibrillation, we simply must find a more sensible solution, the AliveCor Kardia Mobile ECG.

The same pathway, with the inclusion of the Kardia Mobile ECG being supplied comes in at just £172.50. That’s an incredible saving.

Across the country, that’s a potential saving of £2,265,000,000 (without ILR, £11,377,000,000 with ILR in every case) which is a staggering figure. This is no longer about whether surgeries should be supplying the Kardia Mobile ECG, it’s a case of when they start.

That time is now.

PMS Instruments. Expertise, Experience and Trust for service, calibration and support.

These are the key words our customers associate with PMS Instruments as well as being the fundamental foundations of our calibration and service department.

I recently posted on Facebook a picture of an A&D Medical TM-2655P waiting room blood pressure monitor that had recorded a staggering 103366 readings since we originally supplied it in 2004!

Having visited the R&D centre in Japan I know the engineering quality, research and development that A&D Medical put into the design and manufacturer of their products but was intrigued and asked one of our service engineers to give me the service history of the monitor over the last 12 years.

We keep detailed service and calibration records for every item of equipment we service and repair. The monitor had a new cuff mechanism fitted in 2007 which we replaced under warranty but other than that had had no other parts fitted just regular, routine and preventative maintenance.

What’s the secret of this reliability and low cost of ownership?

I am convinced it is regular, preventative and routine servicing by PMS Instruments which extends the in service life of the monitors and prolongs the investment our customers make in their equipment.

Why do I think this? There are any number of medical companies that visit GP surgeries in the UK offering to service and calibrate a wide range of blood pressure monitoring equipment. That may be the case but the TM-2655P and TM-2657P waiting room blood pressure monitors are specialist instruments, requiring specialist knowledge and test equipment.

So what are you actually getting from us and how does our service differ?

With our service and calibration service each monitor is subjected to an approved individual ISO-9001 quality assured Work Instruction. This comprises a series of up to 70 detailed steps our service engineers must follow and which the product must pass in accordance with the manufacturer’s service manuals. You get so much more from PMS Instruments than the basic 10 minute on site functional test some companies offer.

You get what you pay for?

Depending on the model it can take up to 90 minutes for our Service Engineers to adjust, calibrate and service an A&D Medical waiting room blood pressure monitor and we are the experts at it! Rapid turnaround time means minimum downtime and a full service and calibration certificate is issued.

Not convinced and want to use another company?

To ensure you are getting a proper and professional service for your A&D Medical waiting room blood pressure monitor and compare like for like ask your current service provider these questions.

Are you authorised by A&D Medical to work on this equipment?
Have the service engineers working on your equipment been on an A&D training course?
Do you follow a preventative service and maintenance schedule?
Do you perform an internal inspection of the equipment?
Do you check and replace routine original service parts?
Do you use an A&D Medical BP Checker?

Was it yes to all of these?

I was happy for the customer that their A&D Medical waiting room blood pressure monitor had provided so many years of reliable and trouble free service.

Has your TM-2655P monitor reached 100000 + readings during its lifetime yet? If your current service company can’t tell you call us on 01628 773233 and we will.

The secret by the way is Test Mode 41 or is it 42!