Evaluation of oscillometric and vascular access port arterial blood pressure measurement techniques versus implanted telemetry in anesthetized cats

Objective-To compare the use of a semi-invasive vascular access port (VAP) device or noninvasive oscillometry versus invasive telemetry for blood pressure measurements in cats. Animals-6 healthy cats. Procedures-30 days before the study, all cats received an implanted telemeter and a VAP device. During normotension and experimentally induced hypertension, blood pressure was measured with the implanted devices and with noninvasive oscillometry at 4 time points. Results-Compared with invasive telemetry, VAP had a correlation coefficient from 0.8487 to 0.9972, and noninvasive oscillometry had a correlation coefficient from 0.7478 to 0.9689. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Use of the VAP device and noninvasive oscillometry had a high degree of correlation with invasive telemetry as the gold standard for blood pressure measurement. Use of a VAP device resulted in a slightly higher degree of correlation, compared with noninvasive oscillometry. (Am J Vet Res 2011;72:1015-1021)