Blood Pressure Monitor Suitable for Children

A noninvasive blood pressure monitor has been found suitable for the continual measuring of blood pressure in children, with updates available about every 15 heartbeats. The device has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for children with wrists sizes as small as 11 cm.

In some cases, the new monitor can serve as an alternative to an invasive arterial catheter. A clinical study involving patients over four years of age has documented the monitor's usefulness. The technology is being used in anesthesiology, critical care, emergency rooms, and cardiology departments. Called the Vasotrac APM205A, the monitor is the product of Medwave, Inc. (St. Paul, MN, USA) and has been previously marketed for adult patients.

Several months ago, Medwave entered a research agreement with Arkansas Children's Hospital to validate the use of the monitor with children and to explore additional clinical requirements for pediatrics. "We found that the Vasotrac APM205A technology was comparable to other methods used for monitoring blood pressure in children without the discomfort and invasiveness often associated with other methods,” said Dr. Mark Heulitt, principal investigator of the clinical study.


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