Yes and no. Some mercury compounds - mercury chemically bonded to other elements can be quite toxic. On the other hand, 99.9999% pure elemental liquid mercury will not be absorbed within the system. In fact, if accidentally ingested it will pass. However, prolonged exposure to elemental mercury vapor is very dangerous. ADC mercury blood pressure instruments contain less than 2 oz of elemental mercury and pose no measurable health risk.

If new, the unit must be within 3mmHg when tested against a reference instrument in order to meet ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060 standards. ADC's PROSPHYG series instruments will always meet or exceed these standards. ADC's DIAGNOSTIX series manometers exceed these standards by as much as 66%. ADC DIAGNOSTIX brand mercury manometers are guaranteed to be within 1mmHg over their full range, while the DIAGNOSTIX brand aneroid manometers are guaranteed within 2mmHg when NEW.

It is critical. When the inside bore is too narrow two problems can result; mercury lag and mercury separation. Mercury lag is the phenomenon that occurs when the air deflates from the cuff faster than the mercury column can respond. When the forces of friction (of the mercury against the inner walls of the cartridge tube) that prevent the mercury from dropping exceed the gravitational forces, this causes the mercury to drop and results in mercury lag. That same friction can actually cause the column of liquid mercury to split - forcing an air pocket that will distort readings.

The AHA recommends a deflation rate of 2 - 3mmHg per second. During routine measurement, the system is typically inflated to about 180mmHg and deflated to about 60mmHg.  That’s a range of about 120mmHg (the actual range is determined by the patient's expected blood pressure). At a deflation rate of 2-3mmHg/sec, it should take 40 to 60 seconds to deflate the cuff correctly. Excessive deflation rates are one of the most common causes of measurement error - often distorting readings by 10mmHg to as much as 20mmHg.

It is often difficult to tell the difference between competing brands of blood pressure instruments. With retail prices from as little as $10 to nearly $250 for a basic pocket aneroid, and appearances so similar, it can be tempting to select the least expensive brands.

A few manufacturers produce so called "adjustable" gauges. These gauges permit the indicator needle to be re-set to the zero point using a conventional jeweler's screwdriver inserted into the air inlet at the base of the gauge. ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060 prohibits the manufacture of any instrument with an adjustable dial, except by use of a specialized tool. We hardly think a jeweler's screwdriver available from virtually any hardware store qualifies as a "specialized" tool.

Incorrect cuff sizing can greatly affect the accuracy of blood pressure measurement. Too small a cuff will cause an overestimation of blood pressure, and too large a cuff an underestimation. Multicuff kits are blood pressure instruments that contain more than one cuff size. ADC's various multicuff kits contain from 3 to 5 cuffs (with limb ranges from 3.5cm to 66cm) packaged in a variety of carry cases and stands that allow rapid selection of the most appropriate cuff.

ADCUFF™ is the trademarked name for ADC's line of professional blood pressure cuffs, inflation bladders, and SPU (single patient use) cuffs. The ADCUFF™ was carefully designed to balance the requirements of ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060 and AHA recommendations while combining the real-world needs of our customers.

Very. Incorrect sizing could lead to measurement error when the mis-sized cuff fails to properly compress the brachial artery. Cuff size is determined by the size of the bladder, also known as the inflation bag. According to AHA and ANSI standards, the bladder should measure at least 80% of the intended limb circumference in length. The bladder width should measure at least 40% of its length. The cuff itself should then be designed AND marked to encourage or even restrict use to the limb circumference established by its bladder.

Material Safety Data Sheets are not required for most of our products and are not available in most cases. We do offer Material Safety Data Sheets for our mercury blood pressure instruments. These are available upon request OR by clicking here.