Variation between Clinician-Recorded and Downloaded Invasive Blood Pressure in Extremely Preterm Infants

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine the variation between clinician-recorded and continuously downloaded invasive blood pressure (BP). Study Design Prospective study where invasive BP data were downloaded every 10 seconds for the first week of life. Hourly clinician-recorded BP was recorded. Agreement between the two methods were examined. Results A total of 1,180 BP measurements were examined from 42 preterm infants with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) gestation and birthweight of 25.7 weeks (1.4) and 802 g (177) respectively. The mean (SD) bias was −0.11 mm Hg (3.17), but the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) varied between −6.3 and +6.1 mm Hg. Inotrope usage was significantly higher for BP measurements that fell in the 5% outliers when compared with those that fell within the 95% LOA (62.7 vs. 44.6%, p = 0.006). Conclusion Clinicians showed no systematic bias to over- or underrecord BP, but some of the greatest differences were found in infants receiving inotropes. Key Points