Correlation Between Blood Pressure Measurement by Non-invasive and Invasive Methods in Critically-ill Children

Objective: To determine the correlation of non-invasive blood pressure obtained by auscultatory and oscillometric methods, with invasive blood pressure in critically ill children. Methods: We compared invasive with auscultatory and oscillometric blood pressures using paired t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plot in 50 children (age 1-12 y) admitted in Pediatric intensive care unit. Results: Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures of invasive methods significantly correlated with auscultatory and oscillometric methods (P < 0.001). Auscultatory and oscillometric measurements under-estimated systolic arterial pressures [mean (SD) difference 5.4 (12.2) mmHg and 6.3 (14.0) mmHg, respectively; P < 0.001] and overestimated diastolic arterial pressures [-4.1 (5.8) mmHg and -3.6 (7.2) mmHg; P < 0.001] compared to invasive blood pressure. Conclusion:Mean arterial pressure obtained by NIBP measurement is more closer than systolic or diastolic pressures, when compared with invasive blood pressure measurement.