Mercury Sphygmomanometer

I just bought a Baumanometer Sphyg from eBay. My very first mercury cuff. I'm so excited for it to arrive. Can't wait to try it out😃 Anyone with me????? Curious as to how many BP freaks are out there. Ha!

I own 2, both need to have the rubber tubes replaced, they're dry rotted.

One is in a more modern metal case, the other is wood.

Mine is a 320 with metal case. Like New condition. Have only used a mercury sphyg once, and that was years ago. Very excited to get my hands on it. Use it......Many, many times😃

I think a mercury sphygmomanometer looks more authoritative than an aneroid model, but be careful not to break the container or tube with the mercury in it. There's a lot of concern about how toxic mercury vapour is.

Mercury is toxic, but in its liquid / metal state, it doesn't vaporize. By their very nature, the old mercury units are not air tight, they wouldn't work if they were.

I've always liked the mercurial sphygmomanometers too, but haven't seen one in a long time. It definitely would be a cool thing to have. You have to be careful with it, storing it in a stable place where it won't turn over and possibly disrupt the mercury column or cause it to leak.

They always look very cool. Then again I like old school medical devices.

Mercury does have a small vapour pressure at room temperature (approx. 0.2 Pa, ref: SI Chemical Data, Aylward and Findlay, 6th ed.). In any chemistry laboratory the possibility of mercury spillage is taken very seriously. Mercury containing apparatus must be kept in a tray, and a spill kit must be nearby. The problem is that small droplets of mercury in floor cracks or in porous floor covering will slowly vaporise, risking chronic mercury poisoning. As others point out, the mercury in a sphygmomanometer must be open to the atmosphere for the instrument to work. The surface area exposed to the air is small so the rate of evaporation will be small.

From my experience, I prefer only mercurial sphygmomanometer. Unfortunately, in EU these are restricted, still able to buy it as medical professional.

I have to say I have never been too bothered by BP cuffs, that said im sure I could be persuaded!

They look cool but i would not personally own one due to the mercury risk

I am not a freak for blood pressure cuffs, but I have one and feel it is an essential component of any physical exam.

I love the BAUM mercury bp units. I bought one back in the mid 90s brand new. It was the desktop model that folded down. Unfortunately I was worried about the mercury as I had to hide it from my gf. So I sent it back to medical supply store for recycling. I do regret doing that. Mercury BP is the best. I did however buy a few BAUM cuffs as their bulbs are the best in the industry.

BPMichael. I agree 100%. I thought all my other brands of sphygs were the highest quality, but compared to Baum, they all fall short. Every aspect exudes quality craftsmanship. While not as convenient or portable, I just love this new unit.

Luvnurses, we might be brothers : )

One other thing I love about bp is the dangling of the rubber tubing as it attaches the cuff to the mercury. Nothing better to see a hot nurse checking bp and the dangling rubber coiled tubing. Even better if the tubing goes across my chest as I lie down : )

The mercury one is definitely sexier for me than the aneroid.

I'm lucky to have a mercury one & aneroid type. Both have the desired effect.

I have a accuson mercury sphygmomanometer. Seeing one nowadays is very rare. I think they look far more professional sat on the desk. I personally find it easier to use as well.

Baum is by far the standard Sphygmo by which all others are judged. I mainly use a Baum 300mm pocket aneroid but we have many Baumanometers at the HYpertension Center. What l find sexy about the Baum cuff is the unique sounds it makes upon inflation. I have found that fitting a Baum bulb to any other cuff gives the cuff that amazing Baum sound. I always use a Baumanometer when doing a initial blood pressure evaluation. I really find the mercury bopping with each artery pulse erotic.

I enjoy having my pressure taken with a Baum cuff. The sound turns me on. My husband takes my pressures using a Baum aneroid gauge as well as a mercury unit. My pressure is always higher when he uses a Baum. My systolic shoots through the roof! I am lying in bed with cuffed on both arms. I can't wait for him to measure my pressures. Last reading was 166/110.

Oh, my dream is to find such a wife.

I enjoy having my pressure taken with a Baum cuff. The sound turns me on. My husband takes my pressures using a Baum aneroid gauge as well as a mercury unit. My pressure is always higher when he uses a Baum. My systolic shoots through the roof! I am lying in bed with cuffed on both arms. I can't wait for him to measure my pressures. Last reading was 166/110.

I have a accuson mercury sphygmomanometer. Seeing one nowadays is very rare. I think they look far more professional sat on the desk.

I had an Accoson Dekamet years ago and I +really+ regret getting rid of it. There's definitely something alluring about the mercury launching upwards with each squeeze of the bulb as the cuff is inflated and the small bounce with each pulse on deflation. I also loved the look of (but never had one) the Accoson Freestyle which was essentially the same unit without the metal case. To me, these are true classics which evoke strong memories, probably because they were so ubiquitous in doctor's surgeries and on TV medical dramas, etc. As you say Jam0, there's a definite professional 'old school' look to them.

I replaced my Dekamet with an A&D UM-101 which simulates a mercury column using LCD segments. It also records the pulse rate for convenience. I've never felt the same affinity with this one in spite of its similarity to a mercury sphyg. It looks the part...but something's missing.

There's definitely something alluring about the mercury launching upwards with each squeeze of the bulb as the cuff is inflated and the small bounce with each pulse on deflation. there's a definite professional 'old school' look to them.

@DinaMapper

Oh, and when my heart is pounding...Seeing that mercury bounce with every beat. I love my Baumanometer. Matter of fact, I'll post o pic of it after I finish this post. They are truly a beautiful piece of equipment. So far as W.A. Baum goes, they still use natural latex rubber in their inflation systems. I love it. Real latex inflation system. Yea, besides my Dinamap which is automatic, my Baum 320 mercurial desk unit has gotten more use than any go my others.

@Luvnurses62

Unfortunately I can only see the pics you posted as inch square thumbnails due to the infrequency of my postings on here, hopefully I'll see them in all their glory when I reach my points quota. 😃

Baum aren't (as far as I'm aware) very common over here in Scotland. The equivalent was/is probably Accoson. As far as build quality, the thing that stood out about my old Dekamet was the die-cast 'battleship hull' metal case. You could probably have run it over (slowly!) with a truck and it would be OK. The cuff and bladder were of a reasonably high standard too if I remember right, not sure of the materials used though.

Oh, and when my heart is pounding...

Yeah, I totally get you there! Aside from it being a common feature in med dramas I think another part of my affinity with it stems from it being the first sphyg that was used on me in anger by my GP. To be sure, my heart was certainly pounding then! 160/90 was the verdict, delivered with a furrow of her brow. Probably not what she was expecting for a 20 year old, but she was happier when it dropped to around normal a few minutes later. Thus begins the White Coat experience!

I did have another encounter with a Dekamet a few years later at a BP Awareness event. It was in quite a large and busy hall with lots of tables set up and lots of BP checking going on. Ahh, heaven 😃 I sat down and had my BP taken by quite an attractive 30-ish woman, who I assume was a nurse, using an Omron monitor. I don't remember what the result was but it must have been disconcertingly high. A couple of equally high readings later she got up and had a chat about my readings with a colleague who brought over a Dekamet and proceeded to measure it manually. Given the place was busy, I could sense other people close by wondering what the flurry of activity around me was. That didn't help my BP at all as you might imagine! The final surprise in store was a Dr coming over with a laptop and holding a small probe/transducer to my wrist, which I think measured arterial stiffness. A bit of a heart-pounding White Coat odyssey that morning was!

Sorry, I strayed a bit off topic there!

One of the exam rooms at my work has a wall mounted unit. I am not sure what brand. But a couple times i have taken my bp with it love watching the little indicator rise. Definitely seems more accurate then a newer style.

@Sphygmogirl90, I also love the little beating movement that the mercury has when it reaches your mean pressure ! Those mercury units are lovely

I like bp cuffs as well. Love the old mercury ones.

I'd love to have one of those Baumanometers, too,.What provisions are there or what do you have to do to avoid spilling mercury from the column? About how much did you have to pay for yours?Is it a Velcro or tie on style cuff?I'd think Velcro would be easier to use.

Is it a Velcro or tie on style cuff?

Hey, @tycos4, got mine almost brand new off eBay couple years back. Came with large adult, adult and pediatric cuffs. All with complete inflation system. All are Velcro, thank goodness. I have mine in my exam room at home, so is always level. The way they are designed though, near impossible to spill, save a break or some other catastrophe.

God, I love eBay. Got it all for I wanna say, maybe $70 US. It gets a lot or use. Recently picked up a Baumanometer thigh cuff with the large inflation bulb. I laced that bulb on a large Baum aneroid I have. I love the craftsmanship in the Baumanomoter units. Period. Top to bottom. Have two aneroids of theirs as well, simply because my fondness for their use of natural rubber latex and quality of cuff and inflation system. Plus that very unique Baumanometer sound upon inflation. A wonderful company.

Edit: The thigh cuff, I picked up on eBay as well. Also came with brand new adult B-Lok with inflation system and a proportion large adult cuff with inflation system. Blue inflation bulb. All that was less than $20. The model I got is the 320 Desk Model. I think it is their flagship for professional use. I love it. Actually, the large adult is on my right bicep as I type this. Haaaaa

My pressure is always higher when taken with a mercury unit. Especially when a Baum cuff is used. The sound of the cuff during inflation and the way it makes my veins protrude turns me on. As a experiment l had my pressure taken with both a Baum cuff and a Omron digital. My pressure was 198/126 with the mercury column and 155/103 with the Omron.