[pp.03.01]: bp a6 pc (microlife) vs help check (pic solution) for atrial fibrillation screening in the hypertensive population a comparative study between two automatic oscillometric devices

Objective: to compare sensitivity and specificity in detecting the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) between automatic oscillometric sphygmomanometer, HELP CHECK (PIC solution) with specific algorithm to measure the hemodynamic stability (HSD) and BP A6 PC (Microlife). Design and method: We enrolled 108 hypertensive patients. Of these 65 were suffering from atrial fibrillation and 38 were in stable sinus rhythm, 5 with frequent extrasystoles. All were subjected to clinical measurement of systemic blood pressure with Help Check through three consecutive measurements and simultaneously at 12-lead surface ECG for the detection of the rhythm, and to measurement with Afib BP A6 PC in mode AFIB / MAM running three BP measurements automatically in timed mode and built-in algorithm detects the presence of atrial fibrillation with simultaneously ECG to each of the three pressure measurements automatically timed. Was considered significant for the possible presence of AF, the indicator appears on the display dell’HELP CHECKduring each of the three clinical measurements and the appearance of specific logo AFIB for Microlife- mode MAM / Afib that after three automatic measurements provides an average value of pressure and the appearance of the logo or less for atrial fibrillation detection Results: Help Check with HSD showed, in detecting the presence of atrial fibrillation, a sensitivity of 100% in all three clinical consecutive measurements, an average specificity between the three measurements equal to 85.4% with a accuracy of 94%. The Microlife BP A6 PC showed sensitivity of 95.4% specificity of 92.11% and accuracy of 94%. Conclusions: Our work shows with certainty that the meter automatic pressure HELP CHECK (HC) is much more sensitive of the other in the presence of fibrillation by acting as a warning bell for our patients equal anyway of diagnostic accuracy. Data about specificity of HC is due to particularity of the algorithm in the device that evaluates the accuracy of a reading by detecting HSD, which can be influenced by different factors: physical, psychological and clinical as arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, which persistently alters the period of the pulse waves revealed in the course of a reading.