Role of Traditional Blood Pressure Monitors in Modern Healthcare: The Continued Significance of Manual Cuffs
The manual sphygmomanometer, a device used to measure a person's blood pressure, has been the preferred method for over 150 years. This simple yet effective tool, which finds its roots in the 19th century, is still widely used in hospitals, urgent care facilities, and primary care offices today.
The invention of the manual sphygmomanometer is credited to Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, an Austrian pathologist, who first used an inflatable rubber bag in his device named the sphygmomanometer. In the following years, the device gained popularity, particularly due to the efforts of Stephen Hales, an 18th-century clergyman and philanthropist, who conducted experiments on the force of blood in arteries.
The device found further success in the United States and globally thanks to Harvey Cushing, a pioneering neurosurgeon who encountered Riva-Rocci's device on a trip to Italy. Scipione Riva-Rocci, an Italian internist, later designed a mercury-based pump for the sphygmomanometer between 1896 and 1897, enhancing its accuracy.
When combined with a stethoscope, manual sphygmomanometers can also measure diastolic pressure. Nikolai Korotkov, a Russian surgeon, developed the auscultatory method for measuring blood pressure in 1905, combining Riva-Rocci's manual sphygmomanometer with a stethoscope.
There are two common types of manual sphygmomanometers: the mercury sphygmomanometer and the aneroid sphygmomanometer, the latter being the most common way to test a person's vital signs. The manual sphygmomanometer works by tightening a strap or cuff around a wearer's forearm and increasing pressure to measure systolic pressure.
However, it's important to note that the manual sphygmomanometer cannot track blood pressure continuously like some more recent innovations that include wireless cuffs that sync with smartphones. This limitation has led to discussions about the role of manual sphygmomanometers in modern medicine.
Mark Rock, an assistant professor of emergency medical education at Palomar College, wrote in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services in 2018 that the manual sphygmomanometer should not be overlooked due to the risk of misdiagnoses and inadequate treatment with automated technology. In an article in the journal Surgery in 1998, Nikolai Korotkov was referred to as 'an unknown surgeon with an immortal name.'
Despite the advancements in technology, the manual sphygmomanometer remains a vital tool in medical settings, demonstrating its enduring legacy in the field of healthcare.
