Non-invasive blood pressure measurement under G.

A new commercially available device (Finapres) which allows the continuous monitoring of blood pressure has been evaluated against measurements taken intra-arterially. It was found that Finapres tends to underestimate both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and differs significantly from, but correlates well, with intra-arterial line measurements. In general, the slope of the relationship between Finapres and intra-arterial values is close to unity. It is important that the arm is supported in a way that prevents any local tissue compression in the forearm. Finapres follows the changes in blood pressure induced by exposure to +Gz well, but may not give reliable absolute values. This device is able to give useful information on blood pressure in subjects exposed to +Gz on the man carrying centrifuge, with a minimum of discomfort.