Monitoring a person’s blood pressure during any type of exercise can be a vital component of physical therapy care, especially in the geriatric population. Monitoring vital signs, such as blood pressure, help medical professionals know if their patients’ are stable and tolerating their session well. That is why when RadioShack contacted me about doing a review on their digital blood pressure cuffs, I was excited at the prospect of trying something new that could possibly make my job and the jobs of the therapists that work for me easier. Where I work, we use manual blood pressure cuffs, which are more difficult to use than electronic blood pressure cuffs.
What blood pressure monitors were reviewed?
Two blood pressure monitors were sent and reviewed by myself and my therapy staff for accuracy and usefulness. The first was the Panasonic EW3109($59.99), a portable electronic arm blood pressure monitor.
Panasonic® EW3109W Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
The second was the Panasonic EW3006 ($49.99), a portable electronic wrist blood pressure monitor.
Panasonic® EW3006S Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
What are the pros and cons of both of these monitors?
Panasonic EW3109 and EW3006 Arm and Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors
Pros:
- Up to 90 blood pressure/pulse readings can be stored
- Easy to use. All you have to do is push one large on/off start button to start measuring your blood pressure and heart
- Portable and easy to store. Comes with a carrying pouch
- Easy to read out, large and bright numbers
Cons:
- If you have a bigger arm you will need to order a larger cuff for more accurate readings
- Stores only a long list of measurements, there is no way to record measurements for different individuals
- Cuff needs to be touching the skin and the height of the cuff and heart need to be at the same level, otherwise you will get inaccurate readings
Conclusion:
We found that both of these monitors had similar pros and cons. But for accuracy and reliability of data when compared to a manual blood pressure reading we found the arm blood pressure monitor to be more reliable than the wrist blood pressure monitor. They are both less accurate than the manual blood pressure cuff, but the arm blood pressure cuff is accurate enough in most circumstances. That combined with the ease of use can make it a solid choice as long as you don’t need the highest level of accuracy. For my needs, I would use the Panasonic EW3109 over a manual blood pressure cuff. It’s accurate enough for my needs when working with a patient and it is much easier for me to quickly get a reading.