Evaluation of the performance of a new hand-held oscillometric monitor for estimating direct blood pressure in cats

• Grant number: 12/12837-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Francisco José Teixeira Neto
• Grantee: Bruno Ferreira Robles
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The PetMap® is a handheld oscillometric blood pressure monitor that has been used in cats. This monitor allows the selection of a species-specific algorithm (dogs or cats), theoretically optimizing the precision of blood pressure measurements according to the animal species. However, there have been no studies evaluating the agreement between the blood pressure estimates provided by the PetMap and the blood pressure derived from the direct method (gold standard) in cats under conditions of hypotension and hypertension. Objectives: To compare the handheld oscillometric monitor (PetMap) and a tabletop (Digicare) with regards to their capabilities to provide correct blood pressure estimates in cats. Animals: 8 adult cats. Procedures: after midazolam (0.2 mg/kg), ketamine (5 mg/kg), and methadone (0.1 mg/kg) premedication, anesthesia will be induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen under mechanical ventilation. The cuff that will be used with the PetMap and the Digicare monitor will be placed in the thoracic limb (above the carpal joint). Based on the systolic blood pressures (SAP, mm Hg) obtained by the direct method (dorsal pedal artery catheterization), conditions of low (SAP < 90 e e 60), normal (SAP e 90 e < 140), or high (SAP >140 e d 180) blood pressures will be induced via changes in isoflurane concentrations and/or dopamine administration. Differences between non-invasive methods and the gold standard (Direct blood pressure) will be analyzed using the Bland-Altman method and ANOVA, followed by the Tukey's test (p<0.05). Expected results: we expect to verify if the now oscillometric device (PetMap) shows satisfactory performance (differences of < 10 mmHg from the gold standard during most of the readings) in order to validate this monitor as a clinically useful blood pressure monitor in feline species.(AU)