Preparing and educating the patient
Preparing your patient for the ABP study is the most important step to achieving a
successful test. Review the following instructions with your patient.
• When the pressure in the cuff increases, the patient should avoid excess
movement during measurements. Let the cuffed arm hang loosely, slightly away
from the body. Avoid flexing the muscles or moving the hand and fingers of the
cuffed arm.
• The patient can stop a measurement in progress by pressing the Start/Stop
button.
• If the keypad is enabled when programmed, the patient can start a
measurement at any time by pressing the Start/Stop button.
• Between BP readings the cuff should not be removed.
• While sleeping, the patient should make sure that the hose is not kinked.
• The batteries can be replaced during a study without the data being lost or
interrupting the monitor’s program. Alternatively, the monitor can be turned off
without losing its data.
• Instruct the patient on how and when to fill out the patient diary.
• Ensure the patient knows how to care for the monitor. Keep the monitor dry and
do not drop it.
• If the monitor or cuff causes extreme pain or pain not normally associated with
blood pressure measurement, the patient should remove the cuff and turn off the
monitor.
Starting the study
Before the patient leaves with the monitor and cuff correctly instrumented,
1. Verify that the monitor operates correctly.
2. Make sure that the clock symbol is displayed on the monitor.
Finishing the study
If you wish to finish the study before the patient returns, instruct the patient to turn off
the monitor by holding down the Start/Stop button for 5 seconds. The
Oscar 2
will
beep 5 times and the display will turn off.
When the patient returns, take the cuff, monitor, and strap/belt off.
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