Recently, standing in the pharmacy line, I happened to witness a very remarkable conversation between an indignant buyer and a pharmacist. A stumbling block was a tonometer purchased a few days ago. The buyer was indignant. He loudly, so that all the people standing next to him could hear, argued that the device he acquired absolutely incorrectly measures blood pressure. As an argument, comparisons of measurements made at home with an expensive device purchased and some analogue from Soviet times were given. The pharmacist, not wanting to enter into debates and waste time explaining what types of blood pressure monitors exist, simply returned the cost of the goods to the person and the incident was resolved. Without a doubt, such a case is not the only one. Is the old mechanical tonometer better than modern electronic models? Of course not! The thing is that when choosing a device for measuring pressure, you can not focus solely on its cost, the popularity of the manufacturer or, even worse, the advice of an elderly neighbor, whom someone also advised ... Although all types of blood pressure monitors on the market have been created for the sole purpose of measuring pressure, they are not completely interchangeable. For example, a person with arrhythmia is recommended to pay attention to special models - only in this case the accuracy of the measurements will be appropriate.
Different types of tonometers - for different cases, taking into account the nuances. Therefore, it is so important not to buy the first one you like, but first consult with a pharmacist in a pharmacy or, even better, with a therapist in a clinic. We will talk about what tonometers generally exist and how they differ from each other.
The simplest are mechanical. In Soviet times (and even now in some clinics) such models were used. Such a tonometer includes cuffs worn on the arm; bulb with an adjustable valve for venting; phonendoscope for listening and dial gauge. In many models, the phonendoscope is part of the entire instrument, and not an independent element. The pressure recording sensor may be a membrane and mercury. More affordable models with membranes, but their accuracy is lower than that of mercury. Only ten years ago, the proposed types of tonometers were exhausted by this. Now the situation has changed. Now at the pharmacy showcases there is always an automatic tonometer, and buyers have the opportunity to choose.
The cost of such models is one of the highest, but at the same time they provide the most accurate measurement of pressure. It is simply impossible to listen to blows or not to resume cuffs. Includes cuffs and a unit with a liquid crystal screen. It is enough to put on the cuffs and press the button: the device automatically pumps air and takes measurements of the pulse and pressure. The memory function allows you to “remember” previous results and compare them with the current ones, thereby performing monitoring - it is very useful when taking pressure-normalizing drugs.
Realizing that the high price can scare away potential buyers, manufacturers compromised and offered a whole class of similar devices called semi-automatic. They combined a digital block of automatic models and manual regulation of pump pressure. Currently, buyers give preference to just such models. To use a semi-automatic tonometer, a person does not need to understand all the intricacies of mechanical models. It is also possible to save money without overpaying for the additional functions of the "machines", which not everyone needs.