Choose home monitoring devices and decide on an AED
A few simple devices let you give a remote clinician useful numbers. Choose accurate types and understand their limits.
How
- Thermometer: non-glass, non-mercury, as on the Red Cross list. Keep a spare.
- Blood pressure monitor: choose one from a validated device list such as the AMA's validatebp.org. Guidelines prefer an upper-arm cuff in the right cuff size for each adult.
- Pulse oximeter: FDA warns readings can be wrong with poor circulation, skin pigmentation, skin thickness, cold skin, tobacco use or nail polish. Use it as one clue alongside symptoms, never alone. Over-the-counter models are not FDA-reviewed for medical use.
- AED: Mayo Clinic says people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest may want one after talking with their doctor, it only helps if someone is there to use it, and some consumer models are not intended for home use. Batteries typically need replacing around every four years; keep spare pads.
- Log every reading in the observation sheet (medical-5) with the date and time.
Safety: Devices support, but never replace, a clinician's judgement. Act on symptoms such as breathing difficulty or confusion even if a reading looks normal.
Sources
- Anatomy of a First Aid Kit. American Red Cross, accessed 2026-11
- Validated Device Listing (blood pressure monitors). American Medical Association, validatebp.org, accessed 2026-11
- FDA In Brief: FDA warns about limitations and accuracy of pulse oximeters. FDA, accessed 2026-11
- Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?. Mayo Clinic, accessed 2026-11