Sex Differences in Neurological Emergencies Presenting to Multiple Urban Level 1 Trauma Centers.

Previous studies have suggested that there are sex differences in the treatment and outcome of neurological emergencies; however, research identifying the role these sex differences play in the management of neurological emergencies is lacking. More knowledge of the way sex factors into the pathophysiology of neurological emergencies will be helpful in improving outcomes for these patients. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and management of neurological emergencies while evaluating sex differences in the diagnosis and treatment of these emergencies. We analyzed a cohort of 530 adult patients from four level 1 trauma centers over a period of 4 weeks who had a chief complaint of a neurological emergency, including seizures, cerebrovascular events, headache disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and central nervous system infections. Among patients with neurological emergencies, a significantly lower proportion of female patients underwent neurosurgery and were admitted to the intensive care unit compared to male patients, but there were no significant differences between sexes in the time of symptom onset, type of hospital transportation, amount of neuroimaging performed, admission rates, hospital length of stay, and disposition from the emergency department. Although female patients were more likely to have a chief complaint of headache compared to traumatic injuries in male patients, this was not statistically significant. A significantly higher proportion of female patients had health insurance coverage than male patients.

Emergency Medical Service Providers' Perspectives towards Management of the Morbidly Obese.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States with increasing burden to the health care system. Management and transport of the morbidly obese (MO) pose challenges for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. Though equipment and resources are being directed to the transport of the obese, little research exists to guide these efforts. To address this, the author of this study sought to assess EMS providers' perspectives on the challenges of caring for MO patients. METHODS: An anonymous, web-based survey was distributed to all active providers of prehospital transport of a large, urban, fire-based EMS system to evaluate the challenges of MO patients. The definition of MO was left up to the provider. This survey looked at various components of transport: lifting, transport time, airway management, establishing intravenous access, drug administration, as well as demographics, equipment, and education needs. The survey contained yes/no, rank-order, and Likert scale questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study was approved by the University of Miami (Miami, Florida USA) Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: Of survey participants, 71.9% felt the average weight of their patients had increased, and 100% reported to have transported a MO patient. Of calls made to EMS, 25% were only for assistance in the house and another 25% were for non-emergent transport to a health care facility; shortness of breath was the most common emergent complaint. Of specific challenges to properly care for MO patients, 94.4 % ranked lifting and/or moving the patient highest, followed by airway management, intravenous access, and measuring vital signs. A total of 43.8% of respondents felt that MO patients require at least six to eight EMS personnel to transport patients while 31.8% felt more than eight providers were necessary. Greater than 81.3% felt it would be beneficial to receive more training and 90.4% felt more equipment was needed. Of participants, 68.8 % felt that MO patients did not receive the same standard of care. CONCLUSIONS: Surveyed participants reported that patient's weights are increasing with all having transported a MO patient. Despite the majority of transports being for non-emergent problems, providers felt more training would be beneficial, that equipment available does not meet needs, and that the MO pose challenges to appropriate patient care. Cienki JJ . Emergency Medical Service providers' perspectives towards management of the morbidly obese. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):471-474.

Impact of an electronic medical record system on emergency department discharge instructions for patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hypertension is associated with significant patient morbidity and health care costs. Many patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED) do not regularly consult health care providers and have socioeconomic barriers to receiving primary care. Hypertension screening and counseling has been advocated as a routine part of ED care. Previous work has shown poor referral rates and education for ED patients presenting with elevated blood pressure (BP). We sought to determine whether implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) would improve these rates. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study conducted in 2 urban academic EDs, comparing pre-EMR (handwritten discharge) to post-EMR discharge instructions for patient referral for BP management and education on lifestyle modification. Medical records of patients aged ≥ 18 years with a systolic BP rate ≥ 140 or diastolic BP rate ≥ 90 mm Hg were included. Patient data included demographics, BP rate, presenting symptoms, and administration of antihypertensive medication while in the ED. Discharge instructions were reviewed for a directed referral for outpatient BP management, prescriptions for antihypertensive medication, and lifestyle modifications. RESULTS: Of the 1000 medical records reviewed, 500 were pre- and 500 were post-EMR, including a total of 389 patients who had persistently elevated BP on reassessment. At discharge, acknowledgment of elevated BP occurred in 45% of patients in the pre-EMR phase and only 26% in the post-EMR phase (P < 0.0001). Provision of all 5 lifestyle modifications occurred in none of the pre-EMR patients and in 15% of the post-EMR patients (P < 0.0001). Factors associated with a directed referral for the patient included increasing BP rate, pharmacologic treatment of hypertension in the ED, or provision of a prescription for an antihypertensive medication at discharge. The post-EMR phase was negatively associated with a directed referral for outpatient BP management. CONCLUSION: Overall, the initiation of EMR led to a decrease in outpatient referrals and acknowledgment of elevated BP rates in discharge instructions. The provision of more complete lifestyle modifications improved in the post-EMR phase.

Occipital lobe epilepsy presenting as Charles Bonnet syndrome.

Charles Bonnet syndrome describes visual field or acuity loss with complex hallucinations. This typically occurs in the elderly with preexisting visual impairment. We describe a patient who presented to the emergency department with acute hemianopsia and intermittent complex hallucinations. A 57-year-old man was referred for visual field loss and hallucinations. Chief complaint was "seeing little heads of people" and a right-sided visual loss. The patient was alert, oriented, and able to repeat and name and had fluent speech. On cranial nerve examination, he had 20/20 visual acuity and right homonymous hemianopsia. The patient had normal laboratory examination and electrocardiogram results. Results of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head with contrast were negative. Standard 30-minute electroencephalography revealed near-continuous epileptiform discharges in the left occipital lobe. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of new-onset seizure presenting as Charles Bonnet syndrome.

Agreement between emergency medical services and expert blood pressure measurements.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-measured blood pressures (BPs) are utilized for administering medications in the field and for triage decisions. Retrospective work has demonstrated poor agreement between EMS and Emergency Department (ED) BP but has lacked a valid, reliable reference standard. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To compare EMS BP measurements with those of trained research assistants (RA) and observe measurement technique for sources of error. METHODS: A prospective study was performed with a large urban EMS. BP measurements were made by RA within 5 min of patients presenting to the ED. EMS personnel were asked about technique. EMS personnel were then observed while RA simultaneously measured BP. Analysis was performed using methods outlined by Bland and Altman. RESULTS: There were 100 patients enrolled for each phase. In the first phase, the mean difference in systolic BP was -3.8 ± 18.6 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI] -8.3 to 0.59), and the mean difference in diastolic BP was 0.42 ± 13.8 mm Hg (95% CI -3.3 to 4.1). In the second phase, the mean difference in systolic BP was -4.6 ± 10.1 mm Hg (95% CI -6.6 to -2.6) and the mean difference in diastolic BP was -3.6 ± 10.6 mm Hg (95% CI -3.6 to -0.2). EMS personnel failed to properly place the cuff or deflate it 2-3 mm Hg/s in over 90% of the readings. They failed to properly inflate the cuff in 74% of the patients, and failed to properly place the stethoscope in 40%. EMS personnel demonstrated a significant preference for the terminal digit of "0" (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: EMS and expert BP measurements showed smaller discrepancies than those previously noted, especially with simultaneous measurements. However, EMS demonstrated poor adherence to American Heart Association recommendations for measuring BP. EMS also showed terminal digit preference.

Barriers to screening and intervention for ED patients at risk for undiagnosed or uncontrolled hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: We describe clinician-reported knowledge of the Joint National Committee (JNC7) on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure definitions of Stage I hypertension; perceived causes of elevated blood pressure; barriers to blood pressure re-assessment; risk of adverse events associated with the elevated blood pressure. METHODS: Health care providers from five emergency departments completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge of blood pressure criteria for hypertension, perceived causes of elevated blood pressures, barriers to re-assessment, and perceived risk of an adverse event at one year in a patient within three defined systolic and diastolic blood pressure ranges. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent (379/524) of providers (68 attending physicians, 87 residents, 209 nurses, and 15 nurse practitioners) completed questionnaires. One hundred and four providers (27%) correctly listed the systolic and diastolic criteria for Stage 1 hypertension. Nurses and physicians rated uncontrolled, known hypertension [mean (standard deviation)] [8.7 (2.1), 8.9 (1.9)] the highest and pain [8.3 (2.3), 8.3 (2.1)] as the second highest cause of elevated BP. Nurses and physicians rated the lack of time to perform a reassessment [5.2 (3.4), 4.7 (2.8)] and a lack of adequate staffing [4.7 (3.4), 4.6 (2.9)] the highest as barriers to re-assessment. Nurses' mean adverse risk assessment twice that of physicians. DISCUSSION: Twenty seven percent of providers were aware of the JNC7 criteria and often attributed elevated blood pressures to chronic, uncontrolled hypertension, pain or anxiety. No single barrier to repeating elevated blood pressures was identified.

Course of untreated high blood pressure in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: No clear understanding exists about the course of a patient's blood pressure (BP) during an emergency department (ED) visit. Prior investigations have demonstrated that BP can be reduced by removing patients from treatment areas or by placing patients supine and observing them for several hours. However, modern EDs are chaotic and noisy places where patients and their families wait for long periods in an unfamiliar environment. We sought to determine the stability of repeated BP measurements in the ED environment. METHODS: A prospective study was performed at an urban ED. Research assistants trained and certified in BP measurement obtained sequential manual BPs and heart rates on a convenience sample of 76 patients, beginning with the patient arrival in the ED. Patients were observed through their stay for up to 2 hours, and BP was measured at 10-minute intervals. Data analysis with SAS PROC MIXED (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina) for regression models with correlated data determined the shape of the curve as BP changed over time. Patients were grouped on the basis of their presenting BP as normal (less than 140/90), elevated (140-160/90-100), or severely elevated (greater than 160/100) for the regression analysis. RESULTS: A statistically significant downward trend in systolic and diastolic BP was observed only for those patients presenting with severely elevated BPs (ie, greater than 160/100). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a statistically significant decline in systolic and diastolic BP over time spent in the ED only for patients with severely elevated presenting BPs.

An Internet misadventure: bloodroot salve toxicity.

INTRODUCTION: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a perennial flowering plant native to North America. Sanguinarine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, is a powerful escharotic contained in the root. Herbalists prescribe bloodroot for multiple conditions including skin lesions and sore throats. We report 2 patients who treated skin lesions with bloodroot to untoward effect. CASE REPORT 1: A 53-year-old man with unremarkable medical history developed a 5-mm papule on his chest that gradually blackened. The patient searched the Internet for "herbal cures" and found bloodroot salve as a therapy for skin lesions. The patient applied bloodroot black salve for 10 days. After 6 months the remaining lesion resumed increasing in size. The patient restarted bloodroot treatments despite intense pain. After 6 weeks the lesion doubled, became ulcerated and purulent, prompting presentation to the Emergency Department. Pathological examination of the lesion revealed malignant melanoma. CASE REPORT 2: A 42-year-old man with a history of metastatic colon cancer developed palpable subcutaneous nodules on the anterior abdominal wall. The patient's mother searched the Internet for cancer salves and purchased black and yellow bloodroot salve. After 8 days, feces were noted discharging from an ulcer where the salve was applied. The patient was admitted for total parenteral nutrition until the enterocutaneous fistula healed. DISCUSSION: Bloodroot is widely available on the Internet and easily purchased. Web sites discuss the efficacy of bloodroot in treating skin cancer. The cases describe attempts to self-treat skin lesions with unregulated Internet therapy. Lack of regulation of information on the Internet allows alternative therapies to be promoted without full consideration of potential toxicity. Greater awareness of agents with such potential for danger needs to be available to health care providers, and the taking of such remedies should always be discussed with the supervising physician.

Evaluation, management, and referral of elderly emergency department patients with elevated blood pressure.

OBJECTIVES: To determine blood pressure (BP) reassessment rates and to describe the evaluation and outpatient referral rates of elderly emergency department (ED) patients with elevated BP. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of patients who were at least 60 years, presented with a systolic BP of at least 140 mmHg or diastolic BP at least 90 mmHg, and were discharged from the ED. BP measurements, ancillary testing, and discharge instructions were obtained from a random selection of medical records. RESULTS: Of 267 patients 198 (74%) underwent a BP reassessment. Factors associated with a reassessment included receipt of an antihypertensive, symptom of chest pain, care in an ED with a BP reassessment protocol, and increasing age. Of the 241 patients who maintained an elevated BP, 88 (37%) had no prior history of hypertension, 36 (15%) had a prior history but had untreated hypertension, and 117 (49%) had known, treated, but poorly controlled hypertension. Ancillary testing was completed on 144 (60%) patients and only 24 patients received an antihypertensive medication while in the ED. These patients had higher systolic (177 vs. 156 mmHg) and diastolic values (98 vs. 84 mmHg) than those who did not receive antihypertensive medications (P<0.01). At discharge, 29 (12%) patients received a directed referral and 28 (12%) received any intervention, with the provision of antihypertensive prescription the most common in 17 (7%). CONCLUSION: Unlike other ED-based studies of adult hypertensive patients, BP reassessment in the elderly occurred in the majority. Referral and intervention rates, however, were low.

Provider self-report and practice: reassessment and referral of emergency department patients with elevated blood pressure.

BACKGROUND: We attempted to identify patient factors associated with blood pressure (BP) reassessment and to compare health-care provider self-reported reassessment and referral to actual practice in an emergency department (ED) setting. METHODS: Provider reassessment and referral practices were determined through systematic review of 1,250 medical records at five EDs. Medical records were included if patients were > or =18 years, nonpregnant, presented with a systolic (SBP) > or =140 or diastolic BP (DBP) > or =90 mm Hg, and discharged. A separate questionnaire obtained self-reported practice patterns of health-care providers. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with patient BP reassessment and referral. RESULTS: Of 1,250 patients, only 57% underwent BP reassessment and 9% received a referral for outpatient management. The most significant independent variables related to a reassessment were as follows: treatment of elevated BP in the ED (odds ratio (OR): 6.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.80-20.31), chest pain (OR: 3.90; 95% CI: 2.37-6.42), and presence of an ED reassessment protocol (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.77-3.50). The most significant factors associated with a referral included treatment of elevated BP in the ED (OR: 5.55; 95% CI: 2.72-11.32), presence of a reassessment protocol (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.32-5.05), and a BP reassessment (OR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.34-4.89). For self-reported practice patterns, 379 (72%) health-care providers completed questionnaires. Providers consistently overestimated their referral practices, yet the mean referral threshold values reported (SBP, 150 mm Hg; DBP, 93 mm Hg) were lower than the mean BP values of patients who actually received a directed referral (SBP, 170 mm Hg; DBP, 97 mm Hg, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Reassessment and referral of discharged ED patients with elevated BP was infrequent and health-care providers overestimate their reassessment and referral efforts.

Utility of routine testing for patients with asymptomatic severe blood pressure elevation in the emergency department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Recommendations for the treatment of emergency department (ED) patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure advise assessment for occult, acute hypertensive target-organ damage. This study determines the prevalence of unanticipated, clinically meaningful test abnormalities in ED patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study at 3 urban academic EDs. Consecutive patients with systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 180 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 110 mm Hg on 2 measurements were enrolled if they denied symptoms of hypertensive emergency. A basic metabolic panel, urinalysis, ECG, CBC count, and chest radiograph were obtained. Treating physicians were interviewed about the indication for each test and whether an abnormal result was anticipated according to clinical findings. When test results were available, physicians were asked whether abnormal findings were clinically meaningful, defined as leading to unanticipated hospitalization, medication modification, or further immediate evaluation. The primary outcome was the prevalence of unanticipated clinically meaningful test abnormalities. RESULTS: One hundred nine patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure were enrolled. Unanticipated abnormal test results were noted in 57 (52%) patients. Clinically meaningful unanticipated test abnormalities were found in 7 (6%) patients: basic metabolic panel in 2 (2%), CBC count in 3 (3%), urinalysis in 3 (4%), ECG in 2 (2%), and chest radiograph in 1 (1%). Five patients (5%) had abnormalities assessed as possible manifestations of acute hypertensive target-organ injury; none had abnormalities clearly related to severely elevated blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Screening tests of urban ED patients with asymptomatic severely elevated blood pressure infrequently detect unanticipated hypertension-related abnormalities that alter ED management.

Analysis of the psychoactive terpenoid salvinorin A content in five Salvia divinorum herbal products.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the content of the hallucinogen salvinorin A in a variety of Salvia divinorum herbal products and to compare the content with the label claims of potency and purity. DESIGN: Laboratory analysis. SETTING: University-affiliated laboratory. SAMPLES: Five herbal products containing Salvia divinorum. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The samples were purchased from the Internet and local drug paraphernalia shops ("head shops"). Highperformance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy were used for the analysis. All five samples contained salvinorin A, a psychoactive compound found in Salvia divinorum; however, the salvinorin A concentrations we measured were much lower than those claimed on the product label. Vitamin E was also found in two samples and caffeine in one sample. CONCLUSION: The five salvinorin A herbal products were found to be subpotent, and three products contained adulterants. Any discrepancy between the advertised salvinorin A concentration and their actual concentration may pose a potential risk of both misuse and overdose. These concerns, and the recently reported teenage suicide that could have been related to salvia consumption, underscore the need for practitioners to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of salvia use.

Emergency medicine research directors and research programs: characteristics and factors associated with productivity.

BACKGROUND: Periodic surveys of research directors (RDs) in emergency medicine (EM) are useful to assess the specialty's development and evolution of the RD role. OBJECTIVES: To assess associations between characteristics and research productivity of RDs and EM programs. METHODS: A survey of EM RDs was developed using the nominal group technique and pilot tested. RDs or surrogate respondents at programs certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were contacted by e-mail in early 2005. The survey assessed programs' research infrastructure and productivity, as well as RD characteristics, responsibilities, and career satisfaction. Three measures of research productivity were empirically defined: research publications, grant awards, and grant revenue. RESULTS: Responses were received from 86% of 123 EM programs. Productivity was associated with the presence of nonclinical faculty, dedicated research coordinators, and reduced clinical hours for research faculty. Programs with an RD did not have greater research productivity, using any measure, than those without an RD. The majority of RDs cited pursuing their own studies, obtaining funding, research mentoring, and research administration to be major responsibilities. The majority characterized internal research funding, grant development support, and support from other faculty as inadequate. Most RDs are satisfied with their careers and expect to remain in the position for three or more years. CONCLUSIONS: Research productivity of EM residency programs is associated with the presence of dedicated research faculty and staff and with reduced clinical demands for research faculty. Despite perceiving deficiencies in important resources, most RDs are professionally satisfied.

Evaluation and treatment of patients with severely elevated blood pressure in academic emergency departments: a multicenter study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Current guidelines advise that emergency department (ED) patients with severely elevated blood pressure be evaluated for acute target organ damage, have their medical regimen adjusted, and be instructed to follow up promptly for reassessment. We examine factors associated with performance of recommended treatment of patients with severely elevated blood pressure. METHODS: Observational study performed during 1 week at 4 urban, academic EDs. Severely elevated blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 180 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 110 mm Hg on at least 1 measurement. ED staff were blinded to the study purpose. Demographics, presenting complaints, vital signs, tests ordered, medications administered, disposition, and discharge instructions were recorded, and associations were tested in bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Severely elevated blood pressure was noted in 423 patients. Serum chemistry was obtained in 73% of patients, ECG in 53% of patients, chest radiograph in 46% of patients, urinalysis in 43% of patients, and funduscopy documented in 36% of patients. All studies were performed in 6% of patients and were associated with complaints of dyspnea (odds ratio [OR] 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 8.7) and chest pain (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.2 to 7.6). Oral antihypertensives were administered to 36% of patients and were associated with blood pressure-related complaints (OR 2.0 [1.2 to 3.3]), patient-suspected severely elevated blood pressure (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.0 to 15.3), and being uninsured (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.3). Intravenous antihypertensives were given to 4% of patients, associated only with chest pain (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.1 to 9.5). Modification of antihypertensive regimen was documented in 19% of discharged patients and associated with patient-suspected severely elevated blood pressure (OR 5.5; 95% CI 2.5 to 12.2) and being uninsured (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.9). CONCLUSION: The majority of ED patients with severely elevated blood pressure do not receive the evaluation, medical regimen modification, and discharge instructions advised by current guidelines. Further study is necessary to determine whether these recommendations are appropriate in this setting.

Elevated blood pressure in urban emergency department patients.

OBJECTIVES: There has been little systematic study of emergency department (ED) patients with elevated blood pressure (BP) values. The authors sought to characterize ED patients with elevated BP values, assess presenting symptoms, and determine the prevalence of elevated BP after discharge. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study performed in four academic EDs. Adults presenting with systolic BP >or=140 mm Hg or diastolic BP >or=90 mm Hg were enrolled over a one-week equivalent period. Demographics, medical history, and symptoms were obtained by chart abstraction and structured interview. A random patient subset underwent a three-week follow-up interview. BP measurements were staged, using Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-VI) criteria, according to the greatest value noted in the ED. RESULTS: A total of 1,396 patients were enrolled. Stage 1 BP values were noted in 44.3%, stage 2 in 25.3%, and stage 3 in 30.3%. African American patients more frequently had stage 2 and 3 BP values than other ethnic groups. BP measurements were repeated in 61.1% of patients and were the same or greater in 51.3% of patients. Dyspnea was associated with greater BP values. Among the 63.9% of patients who were interviewed, 52.7% were not being treated for hypertension, and 42.1% of those with hypertension had recently missed a medication dose. Follow-up was obtained in 74.7% of those targeted. A visit to a medical practitioner since discharge was reported by 63.2%; of these, 26.1% reported that their BP remained elevated. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated BP is common among ED patients. African American patients are more likely than those of other ethnic groups to have greater BP values. The ED visit may be a good opportunity to identify patients with unrecognized or poorly controlled hypertension.

The validity of emergency department triage blood pressure measurements.

OBJECTIVE: Automated blood pressure (ABP) devices are ubiquitous at emergency department (ED) triage. Previous studies failed to evaluate ABP devices against accepted reference standards or demonstrate triage readings as accurate reflections of blood pressure (BP). This study evaluated ED triage measurements made using an ABP device and assessed agreement between triage BP and BP taken under recommended conditions. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at an urban teaching hospital. Patients were enrolled by convenience sampling. Simultaneous automated and manual triage BPs were obtained using one BP cuff with a Y-tube connector. Research assistants were certified in obtaining manual BP as described by the British Hypertension Society (BHS). Patients were placed in a quiet setting, and manual BP was repeated by American Heart Association (AHA) standards. Data analysis was performed using methods described by Bland and Altman. The ABP device was assessed using Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and BHS criteria. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one patients were enrolled. Systolic BP (sBP) range was 81 to 218 mm Hg; diastolic BP (dBP) range was 43 to 130 mm Hg. Automated vs. manual sBP difference was 3.8 +/- 11.2 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1 to 5.4); dBP difference was 6.6 +/- 9.0 mm Hg (95% CI = -7.9 to -5.2). Manual triage BP vs. AHA standard SBP difference was 11.6 +/- 12.8 mm Hg (95% CI = 9.1 to 14.1); dBP difference was 9.9 +/- 10.4 mm Hg (95% CI = 7.9 to 12.0). The ABP device failed to meet AAMI criteria and received a BHS rating of "D." Poor operator technique and extraneous patient and operator movement appeared to hamper accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: ABP triage measurements show significant discrepancies from a reference standard. Repeat measurements following AHA standards demonstrate significant decreases in the measured blood pressures.