Non invasive assessment of carotid and femoral arterial pressure using B-mode ultrasound diameter waveforms

Non invasive local arterial blood pressure measurement has become a challenge over recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate in a general population the validity of an alternative method to assess systolic local arterial blood pressure, from the analysis of B-mode diameter waveforms, and to estimate the accuracy when compared to carotid and femoral arterial tonometry. In 190 asymptomatic subjects (51±11 years, range: 24-73; pulse pressure: 51±11 mmHg, range: 31-93) systolic arterial pressure was obtained at the left carotid and left femoral artery by applanation tonometry (SBP
_Car
_Ton and SBP
_Fem
_Ton) and by automatic analysis of B-mode echographic images, calibrated using an iterative exponential model. Tonometry and echocardiography-derived pressure estimates correlated significantly (R=0.99, p<;0.05). Mean difference between the two methods was only -2.5±5.0 mmHg for carotid artery (SBP
_Car
_Ton: 122±18 mHg), and -2.1±5.7 mmHg for femoral artery (SBP
_Fem
_Ton: 134±21 mmHg), independent of pressure level. In conclusion, alternative method was found to allow an accurate and precise estimation of systolic local arterial pressure, with an underestimation error of ~2%.