Blood pressure determination may be inaccurate if a cuff of the wrong size is used, but home meters usually have only one size, and offices do not always substitute. A "thigh" cuff may be needed, for example, to get an accurate measurement from the upper arm of a muscular athlete or manual worker.
"a properly maintained mercury sphygmomanometer be used for routine office measurements. There is a role for other types of devices, both as a substitute for the traditional mercury readings (e.g., aneroid and hybrid sphygmomanometers), and as supplements to them (e.g., oscillometric automatic devices). Mercury sphygmomanometers are necessary for evaluating the accuracy of any type of non-mercury device."
"only those devices that have passed standardized validation tests should be used in practice, and oscillometric monitors should be validated on each patient before the readings are accepted"
A pediatric cuff applied to a cat's tail can be used to get a manual systolic-only reading. Doppler techniques are used when both systolic and diastolic are needed.
↑Hodgkinson J, Mant J, Martin U, Guo B, Hobbs FD, Deeks JJ et al. (2011). "Relative effectiveness of clinic and home blood pressure monitoring compared with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in diagnosis of hypertension: systematic review.". BMJ342: d3621. DOI:10.1136/bmj.d3621. PMID 21705406. PMC PMC3122300. Research Blogging.
↑ 5.05.1Myers MG, Godwin M, Dawes M, Kiss A, Tobe SW, Grant FC et al. (2011). "Conventional versus automated measurement of blood pressure in primary care patients with systolic hypertension: randomised parallel design controlled trial.". BMJ342: d286. DOI:10.1136/bmj.d286. PMID 21300709. PMC PMC3034423. Research Blogging.
↑Pickering TG, Hall JE, Appel LJ, Falkner BE, Graves JW, Hill MN et al. (2005). "Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans: an AHA scientific statement from the Council on High Blood Pressure Research Professional and Public Education Subcommittee.". J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich)7 (2): 102-9. PMID 15722655. [e]