# Bloodpressure Cuff size **Category:** [Clinical (archive)](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/clinical-archive/153) **Created:** 2008-06-26 11:44 UTC **Views:** 1 **Replies:** 4 **URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/bloodpressure-cuff-size/14775 --- ## Post #1 by @system Dear all, Something to think about. At least Josina made me. Cuff sizes. Do we really need a list with codes stating small, normal and large? When we know that small for children is different from small for adults, etc, etc. Isn't it tru that we only need to record whether we measured the blood pressure with the appropriate or non-appropriate cuffsize. In other words is it in many occasions not enough to have one flag: 'trust this' or 'do not trust this'? Gerard -- -- Gerard Freriks, MD Huigsloterdijk 378 2158 LR Buitenkaag The Netherlands T: +31 252544896 M: +31 620347088 E: [gfrer@luna.nl](mailto:gfrer@luna.nl) Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin 11 Nov 1755 --- ## Post #2 by @thomas.beale Gerard Freriks wrote: > Dear all, > > Something to think about\. > At least Josina made me\. > > Cuff sizes\. > Do we really need a list with codes stating small, normal and large? > When we know that small for children is different from small for > adults, etc, etc\. > > Isn't it tru that we only need to record whether we measured the blood > pressure with the appropriate or non\-appropriate cuffsize\. > In other words is it in many occasions not enough to have one flag: > 'trust this' or 'do not trust this'? there is one important requirement that relates to this question: faithful recording \- clinicians have to be allowed to record what they want\. Today, they want to record the cuff size in the small/normal/large or child/adult way\. Other clinicians, or the same clinician later on can read this and correctly \(mostly\) infer mentally what the effect of the different cuff sizes is, including \- if the 'wrong' cuff size was used, the correct mental adjustment can be made by an experienced clinician\. If however, the original clinician puts 'trust this/don't trust this', then all subsequent users of the same information can no longer form their own opinion of the effect of a certain kind of cuff on a certain kind of patient \- they now have only the pre\-digested opinion of the original person\. \- thomas beale --- ## Post #3 by @system Hi Gerard, More evidence that we need a way of searching these lists so that people can find previous debates on issues. The current reviewed archetype has some data about the width. It is not sufficient to say relative to the arm as we then make the same mistakes we do now. Better to leave it blank so at least noone was concerned at the time! Cheers, Sam Gerard Freriks wrote: [details="(attachments)"] ![OceanInformaticsl.JPG|183x82](upload://2lcnRHcC3QqDv6AeaDZuo8M9Qlv.jpeg) [/details] --- ## Post #4 by @system > > More evidence that we need a way of searching these lists so that people can find previous debates on issues\. > this is actually not too bad: http://www.nabble.com/openEHR-f18276.html \(although I don't think it's linked from anywhere\) Sebastian --- ## Post #5 by @system I agree Sam. Better have it empty than filled with problems up front. We need a discussion on: - What is called 'Ordinals' or 'severity'. - And in line with this the proper use of the internal code list versus external code list. Gerard > Hi Gerard, > > More evidence that we need a way of searching these lists so that people can find previous debates on issues. > > The current reviewed archetype has some data about the width. It is not sufficient to say relative to the arm as we then make the same mistakes we do now. Better to leave it blank so at least noone was concerned at the time! > > Cheers, Sam -- -- Gerard Freriks, MD Huigsloterdijk 378 2158 LR Buitenkaag The Netherlands T: +31 252544896 M: +31 620347088 E: [gfrer@luna.nl](mailto:gfrer@luna.nl) Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin 11 Nov 1755 --- **Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/bloodpressure-cuff-size/14775 **Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/bloodpressure-cuff-size/14775