Oscillometric method: what is it and is it suitable for measuring blood pressure in all patients?

The oscillometric method, which is gradually replacing the traditional auscultatory method, is attractive to practitioner due to the possibility of automating blood pressure (BP) measurements. However, there is little literature information about its limitations. The purpose of this review is to address such issues. For this purpose, the main modern information on the maximum amplitude algorithm for BP measurement and location features, in which it is possible to obtain an oscillometric waveform, are preliminarily considered. In addition, the limitations and disadvantages of the method associated with both the equipment and the characteristics of various population groups are analyzed. The list of groups in which blood pressure measuring devices may be inaccurate has expanded significantly in the 2020s compared to the previous decade. This suggests that the reliability of the interpretation of data obtained by the oscillometric method in a certain part of patients is limited.