King's College London

OBJECTIVE: To validate the BPro blood pressure (BP) wrist device for use in pregnancy and preeclampsia according to the Universal Standard protocol.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: BP was measured sequentially in 45 pregnant women (including 15 with preeclampsia, 15 with gestational hypertension and 15 who remained normotensive) alternating between a mercury sphygmomanometer and BPro device.

RESULTS: The BPro is accurate in pregnancy with a mean device-observer difference of -1.7 ± 6.1 and 0.1 ± 4.6 mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. In women with preeclampsia, BPro also met the validation criteria for the Universal Standard protocol with a mean device-observer difference of -2.7 ± 7.1 and 0.3 ± 4.7 mmHg for SBP and DBP, respectively. However, the number of absolute BP differences within 5 mmHg was considerably fewer in those with preeclampsia when compared to the other two subgroups.

CONCLUSION: The BPro device can be recommended for BP measurement in pregnancy but should be used with caution in those with confirmed preeclampsia.