1 Department of Pediatrics, Harbor General Hospital, UCLA School of Medicine, Torrance, California 90509
In neonatal intensive care units where direct arterial blood pressures obtained via a transducer are unavailable, a fluid-filled spinal manometer has been used. The latter method is practical and convenient although its validity has not been confirmed. This study is designed to establish the precise relationship between the blood pressure obtained by the manometric method and by direct recording via the arterial transducer.
Materials and Methods
Eleven infants with umbilical artery catheters in place 1 to 2 cm above the diaphragm were selected for the study. In all instances, the arterial catheters were placed for clinical management of various illnesses.