Non-invasive blood pressure measurement in conscious rabbits: A comparison of Doppler ultrasonic and oscillometric devices

Abstract

Background This study aimed to compare Doppler (the most commonly used technique for non-invasive indirect blood pressure [NIBP] measurement in rabbits) and oscillometric devices for NIBP measurements in conscious rabbits. Methods Blood pressure (BP) measurements were obtained for 49 conscious rabbits using the Doppler and oscillometric devices. Each measurement was repeated in triplicate. Three rabbits were excluded from the study because it was not possible to obtain BP measurements using the oscillometric device. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) guidelines were followed to compare the results obtained with the two devices. Results A total of 164 systolic BP measurements were obtained with the Doppler device and 182 were obtained with the oscillometric technique. The mean of the three values obtained for each animal with each device was used for statistical analysis. The analysis demonstrated a poor level of agreement between the measurements obtained with the two devices. Limitations Oscillometric devices rely on built-in software algorithms to perform calculations and produce their measurements. However, the oscillometric devices currently available only have the software for dogs and cats installed. Therefore, these conclusions should be revised when a device with software specifically for rabbits is commercialised. Conclusions This study indicates that oscillometric devices should not be used as a substitute for the Doppler technique when measuring BP in rabbits.