Webpage created 10/13/22; verified for accessibility 4/27/26; last updated 4/27/26
The inclination and height of the patient as well as the site of non-invasive blood pressure measurement can cause artifacts in blood pressure measurement through hydrostatic pressure. This blood pressure measurement simulation uses the hydrostatic equation ΔP = ρgΔh to calculate the magnitude of the pressure artifact (ΔP) from the difference in elevation (Δh) of the non-invasive blood pressure cuff from the heart and assumes that blood density (ρ) is 1,060 kg/m3. The acceleration due to gravity (g) is 9.8 m/s2. The conversion factor from mm Hg to cm H2O is 1.3591.
A 6-foot (183 cm) patient is initially shown supine. Users can click and drag the bed to adjust the angle from 40 degrees head down to vertical. The user may adjust the blood pressure at the heart and the height of the patient. The resulting blood pressure readings at the arm, ankle, and head are displayed.
We recommend the Google Chrome web browser to use the blood pressure measurement hydrostatic artifact simulator.