Medical Equipment of Yesteryears: The Persisting Significance of Manual Blood Pressure Monitors in Modern Healthcare
In the annals of medical history, few devices have endured as steadfastly as the manual sphygmomanometer. This humble yet indispensable tool, used to measure a patient's blood pressure, has its roots deeply entrenched in the 19th century.
The first sphygmomanometer was the brainchild of Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, an Austrian pathologist, who invented the sphygmomanometer around 150 years ago. This pioneering device, equipped with an inflatable rubber bag, laid the groundwork for modern blood pressure monitoring.
Simultaneously, Karl von Vierordt, a German physiologist, developed the sphygmograph, a weight-based system for testing blood pressure in the 1850s. Although the sphygmograph was complex, it paved the way for more refined devices.
Fast forward to the late 19th century, and Italian internist Scipione Riva-Rocci designed a mercury-based pump for the sphygmomanometer. This innovation simplified the design, making it more accessible and user-friendly.
The manual sphygmomanometer's popularity can be attributed to its ease of use and accuracy, as stated in a 2001 article in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. Its simplicity was further enhanced with the introduction of Velcro, making it easier to tighten the cuff of the device.
The manual sphygmomanometer, when combined with a stethoscope, was instrumental in developing the auscultatory method for measuring blood pressure by Nikolai Korotkov in 1905. Korotkov's contributions earned him the title of an 'unknown surgeon with an immortal name,' as referred to in a 1998 article in the journal Surgery.
Today, the manual sphygmomanometer remains a key component of modern medicine. It is used in hospitals, urgent care facilities, and primary care offices, despite the advent of more recent innovations. In 2018, Mark Rock, an assistant professor of emergency medical education at Palomar College, wrote in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services that the manual sphygmomanometer should not be overlooked due to its time-tested analog measurement.
The manual sphygmomanometer works by tightening a strap or cuff around a wearer's forearm and increasing pressure. This process measures the systolic pressure, the pressure exerted against artery walls when the heart is beating. With the use of a stethoscope, it can also measure diastolic pressure, the pressure exerted between heartbeats.
There are two common types of manual sphygmomanometers: the mercury sphygmomanometer and the aneroid sphygmomanometer. The aneroid sphygmomanometer, being more compact and portable, is the most common way to test a person's vital signs and check for potential high blood pressure.
Despite the emergence of wireless cuffs that sync with smartphones, the manual sphygmomanometer continues to hold its ground. Its unwavering reliability and accuracy make it a mainstay in the medical field, a testament to the ingenuity of its inventors and the resilience of this timeless tool.
