Should I buy a blood pressure cuff?

[Cindigo]

More specifically a one handed one? It seems like a good design but I'm wondering if there's a reason that normally you don't see them that way.

The link is to the unit I was looking at on ebay....not trying to spam, just wanting some feedback. The other unit looks much nicer, but is also $50 more expensive. $25 maybe I can justify, $75, not so much.

Palm Spygh by Mitco Medical

Here's a link to the more expensive one if you're interested. Damn. I just looked at it again, and it looks so much nicer. Can I justify it? I can right? You'll cosign that right?

ADC Diagnostix one handed BP cuff

I feel like I'm going to be spending lots of time on ambulances with my main job being VS. If I had my own, I would know where it's been, keep it in my thigh pocket always and probably do a better job of keeping it clean.....I noticed a few times the cuffs on the rigs have suspicious dark stains here and there.

But, then again, I'm new so learning on a old crappy unit, stained cuff, tube noise and all will maybe make me a better medic. Maybe I just buy a cheap unit and keep it on me. Those tubes are unwieldily though.

Feedback appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Fox800]

Don't buy one. It'll get destroyed/contaminated/lost.

 

[Maine iac]

Does your ambulance not have them easily accessible? I have 6 in mine!

I wouldn't buy one.

 

[Aidey]

Not to be a smart ***, but all BP cuffs are one handed. I have yet to see a BP cuff that takes more than one hand to operate. The only difference is where the dial is, and I have yet to need to have the dial attached to the bulb.

 

[Anjel]

I absolutely love the one handed ones. My last service had them. They are a little more expensive than traditional ones, that is why a lot of services don't have them.

I am seriously contemplating getting one for my truck, because I hate the other version, and most of ours have gauges that are off by like 10.

EDIT: One handed as in gauge and pump are in one. Not two separate things.

 

[bigbaldguy]

For those of us that unlike Aidey are all thumbs the one handed ones are pretty cool.

 

[Aidey]

I, 100% non sarcastically, want to know how someone has issues with the standard BP cuff and what those issues are.

 

[Anjel]

I, 100% non sarcastically, want to know how someone has issues with the standard BP cuff and what those issues are.

They aren't so much issues. I have no problem using the traditional models.

I just find the other ones easier. No tubing that gets tangled. Don't have to worry about the gauge being clipped on the cuff.

For me it is just faster and more convenient with the one hand models.

 

[Steveb]

I bought one just to keep at home and in my trauma bag for like 17$ on Ebay works great.

 

[Medic Tim]

I like the ones with the trigger type air release. The reduced tubing is also nice. That said we have like 7 or 8 bp cuffs on each truck plus the nibp on the mrx with assorted cuff sizes. Every cuff seems to be different and with 130 + trucks in our fleet we never know what we are going to get. We have a policy that says we aren't allowed to use personal equipment besides stethys.

 

[Tigger]

I wouldn't buy one. I clean the crap out of the one's in the truck, and if they look suspicious I'll have a supervisor chuck it and we'll get a new one.

 

[ITBITB13]

I have the one with the trigger release and the dial all in one. They are way better than the traditional style bp cuffs. It love using it in the ift setting. However, I have no idea as to how I would like using it in the 911 setting since I think it's a little more hectic in those situations.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I have the one with the trigger release and the dial all in one. They are way better than the traditional style bp cuffs. It love using it in the ift setting. However, I have no idea as to how I would like using it in the 911 setting since I think it's a little more hectic in those situations.

They definitely aren't new by any means but they are really nice.

We have the same ones and like everyone said, there's a minimum of 3-4 BP cuffs between our bag and our unit plus additional sizes.

I wouldn't personally by a BP cuff unless you are using it to practice at home. And if that's why you're buying it don't spend a ton of cash, get a cheap one.

With that said, I have a cheapy from when I first got certified as a basic 4 1/2 years ago that my teacher gave me.

 

[Akulahawk]

I have a good set at home that I use... around the house and such. I don't normally take my personal BP set to work or school. That being said, if I took my personal set to school/work with me these days, I would only bring my sphyg/pump and an adapter tube for the newer FlexiPort system cuffs, as those are all I see on the floors now. Quite often, on top of that, all I generally see are the BP machines, not manual sphyg's mounted to the wall.

 

[Sandog]

I would only suggest getting your own BP cuff so that you can practice with. With that said, I would not spend much on it. Same goes with a stethoscope.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I would only suggest getting your own BP cuff so that you can practice with. With that said, I would not spend much on it. Same goes with a stethoscope.

I wouldn't go cheap on a steth personally but that's just me.

I use my stethoscope every day multiple times a day.

I need a new one, my littman SE II doesn't fit my ears right :-(

 

[Akulahawk]

My first steth was a Littman Classic II SE. I've had couple of those... and my current primary steth is a Littman Cardiology III, with a backup Littman Light. I got these as I have learned what I need to listen to... and I do appreciate the sensitivity my primary steth provides. I've had it about 10 years now, and it has served me quite well in those years. I do not lend my primary steth out, nor do I keep it out of my reach when I am working...

Now if I'm using the $4 cheap stethoscopes... well, they're cheap and while I can use them effectively... I really don't mind if I lose one.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Time till the thread morphed into yet another stethoscope thread, 16 posts. Not a record but close

I bought a decent Bp cuff off amazon for about 20 bucks that I used to practice with and I think this is a good idea for students. Taking a Bp is a big part of a basics job and while actually taking a Bp isn't terribly hard, putting the cuff on taking it off and juggling everything without looking like a newbie can be tricky. I can't see a reason why I would ever take my own though.

 

[Simusid]

Put me in the "yes you should buy a cuff" column.

I bought mine on amazon for just over $20. I bought it to practice taking BP's on co-workers. My skills originally sucked. They are better now. Money well spent (for me). YMMV.

 

[Akulahawk]

Time till the thread morphed into yet another stethoscope thread, 16 posts. Not a record but close

I bought a decent Bp cuff off amazon for about 20 bucks that I used to practice with and I think this is a good idea for students. Taking a Bp is a big part of a basics job and while actually taking a Bp isn't terribly hard, putting the cuff on taking it off and juggling everything without looking like a newbie can be tricky. I can't see a reason why I would ever take my own though.

If you want a BP cuff for your own use, find one that fits most of your family. Now I was lucky enough to acquire a full set about 10 years ago that covers most sizes from a child from about 8 years through adult, but not the really "large" folks or those folks that are significantly taller than I am. It will, however, fit most folks. It's also a single tube set that combines the gauge and pump in one unit.

As I have (I'm sure) previously stated, taking a BP is not that hard. It's just doing it over and over that makes you accurate and fast. You won't get that by doing it on your family... you get that by just doing it over and over again on patients. I've probably done >20k BP measurements over the years. How many of those were done on family and friends? Less than 30...

And yes, while I use auto cuffs these days, I actually prefer to do manual measurements. Why? I'm faster at it. About the only mechanical BP device that obtains measurements faster than I do (that I've found so far) is an A-line once it's established - and I don't establish those. Using an auto cuff unit just lets me concentrate on other things while I'm doing my assessments.

The reason for the steth thread-jack, IMHO, is that a good steth can make it much easier to hear quiet BP sounds that may not be discernible with lesser quality seths... like those $4 steths.