When a patient has an irregular heartbeat, what is the potential issue with the automated blood pressure reading?

When a patient has an irregular heartbeat, the potential issue with the automated blood pressure reading is that the reading may not be accurate. Automated blood pressure monitors typically rely on the detection of consistent blood flow patterns to calculate blood pressure. An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, can disrupt this flow and lead to inconsistent or erroneous readings.

In cases of arrhythmia, the monitor might struggle to determine the true systolic and diastolic pressures accurately because it may not receive reliable signals throughout the measurement cycle. This means that healthcare providers should be cautious and may need to verify the automated reading with a manual assessment or consider alternate methods for obtaining a reliable blood pressure measurement.