TABLE 2.

BP measurement devices and features

Device	Required skill of operator, other operator considerations	Power requirements	Calibration needed?	Longevity *	Pros	Cons
Manual—mercury	High Required good vision/hearing/manual dexterity to adjust and control proper deflation rate	None	No	Indefinite	Most accurate/gold standard Inexpensive No power needs	Toxic to the environment Banned in many countries Requires maintenance (cleaning column, changing air filter) which may be difficult to achieve Risk of observer bias and terminal digit preference Personnel expertise and re‐training required
Manual—aneroid	High Required good vision/hearing/manual dexterity to adjust and control proper deflation rate	None	Yes, every 6 mo		Portable No power needs	Less accurate than mercury Can lose calibration Risk of observer bias and terminal digit preference Personnel expertise and re‐training required
Semi‐automated	Low (need to know how high to inflate the cuff)	Battery, solar (lower power needs due to manual cuff inflation with a hand bulb)	No, but to maintain accuracy parts need to be replaced when cuffs or tubing is worn or has lost integrity	Device intended for home use: 30 000 measurements Device intended for clinic/hospital use: 100 000 measurements	No need for interpretation Eliminates concern for observer bias and terminal digit preference Lower power needs results in greater battery longevity	Requires more operator skill thank fully automated devices May not be accurate in special populations (pregnancy, children, patients with arrhythmias) Less accurate than manual measurement from trained individual
Automated	Lowest	Battery, A/C, solar	No, but to maintain accuracy parts need to be replaced when cuffs or tubing is worn or has lost integrity	Device intended for home use: 30 000 measurements Device intended for clinic/hospital use: 100 000 measurements	No need for interpretation Eliminates concern for observer bias and terminal digit preference Some devices allow for multiple automated unattended measurements, measurement storage, and transmission to health care providers/electronic medical record May take less time to obtain a BP measurement	May not be accurate in special populations (pregnancy, children, patients with arrhythmias) Less accurate than manual measurement from trained individual

^*Length of time before device or essential parts need to be replaced.