Usefulness of brachial artery pressure with forearm compression as arterial pressure monitoring after cardiopulmonary bypass

: The pressures in the radial and brachial artery in the same extremity were measured before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) in 18 patients. Brachial pressures were measured in two different ways, with and without forearm compression. The forearm compression was achieved by a swelled blood pressure cuff. There were no significant differences in these pressures before CBP. But the brachial pressures with the forearm compression were the highest among three kinds of pressures after CBP and there were significant differences between them. The aortic pressures during weaning from CBP were measured and compared with these pressures in 4 patients. The brachial pressures with the forearm compression were closest to aortic pressures. Therefore brachial pressure with forearm compression was recommended as a good pressure monitor when CPB was about to be finished. The patients were them divided into two groups. The patient is in the first group had less than 10 mmHg pressure difference between brachial pressure and radial pressure just after CPB. The patients in the second group had higher pressure in brachial than those in radial for over 10 mmHg just after CPB. There were no significant differences in duration in CPB, lowest rectal temperature, hematocrit and doses of catecholamines between the two groups.