Minimal Perceived Discomfort During Oscillometric Blood Pressure Measurement in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study With Implications for Systematic Screening

Routine blood pressure measurement in children has been proposed for systematic screening, but concerns remain regarding potential harm, including procedural discomfort. This has not previously been studied. The primary aim of this study was to assess the perceived discomfort of routine blood pressure (BP) measurement in children and adolescents, and thereby inform the procedure's suitability for potential systematic screening. Secondly, we aimed to examine whether sex, age, and previous experience with blood pressure measurement were associated with the perceived discomfort. This cross-sectional study enrolled Danish children aged 5-17 years attending the pediatric outpatient clinic of Gødstrup Hospital between the first of June and the 30th of August 2025. Each child underwent oscillometric BP measurement and rated their discomfort using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. The distribution of the reported scores was assessed through descriptive statistics. Odinal logistic regression was used to examine the association between discomfort and sex, age and prior experience with blood pressure measurement. In total, 127 children and adolescents (63 boys, 64 girls) were enrolled in this study. WBS scores were distributed as follows: 63% "No Hurt", 28% "Hurts a Little Bit", and 9% across the remaining categories; no child reported "Hurts Worst". Regression models revealed non-significant associations with WBS-score for age, sex and prior experience with blood pressure measurement. In conclusion, oscillometric BP measurement with adaptive cuff inflation was well-tolerated in this pediatric cohort. This finding supports the feasibility and acceptability of routine oscillometric blood pressure measurement, highlighting its suitability for potential systematic screening programs.