Cheryl B.
Caveat Emptor Sphygmomanometer
Purchased an android sphygmomanometer (large adult McKesson) for my father-in-law two years ago. I didn’t have use for it (he passed away shortly after I ordered it), but I had another relative whose blood pressure was creeping up slowly so I kept the device for future use. I hadn’t had to use it on her until a month ago. Imagine my disgust when I found the air bladder was half of the cuff circumference (a bp cuff bladder should cover 80-100% of the patient’s upper arm which it did not). The large description and circumference measurements of the cuff should correspond to a longer air bladder, not just increased material to make a greater length of the cuff.
Response from Concord Health SupplySep 11, 2026
Cheryl, thank you for the update, and for allowing us the chance to look into this. As you know, we reached out to McKesson and the manufacturer directly about the bladder coverage you described. Their technical review found that this cuff's bladder measures 320mm x 145mm and is designed to meet the ISO 81060-1 standard, which evaluates coverage at the midpoint of the cuff's labeled arm-circumference range — at that midpoint, this cuff reaches 76% coverage, and even at the extreme ends of its range, coverage stays at 64% or above. The manufacturer noted that visually comparing the bladder to the full physical cuff material (rather than to the stated arm-circumference range) can make coverage look lower than it actually is. They also confirmed no recalls, complaints, or adverse events have been associated with this product, which has been on the market for decades. We take reports like yours seriously precisely because these devices are used to make real health decisions, and we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to investigate before writing us off. If you'd still like to speak directly with the manufacturer's technical team, we're glad to arrange that — just reach out to our customer service team with your order details.