Why the study?
How do digital systolic blood pressures measured by strain gauge compare to arm systolic blood pressures in normal subjects?
How do digital systolic blood pressures measured by strain gauge compare to arm systolic blood pressures in normal subjects?
Establishing normal digital-to-arm systolic blood pressure gradients using a strain gauge technique provides reference values for diagnosing lower extremity arterial stenosis.
Provides reference gradients for strain-gauge toe-brachial assessment in normals; leaves open validation for detecting arterial occlusion in patients.
The systolic blood pressure on the finger, toe, and ankle has been measured by a strain gauge technique in 10 normal subjects aged 17–31 years and 14 normal subjects aged 43–57 years. The standard deviation in repeated measurements lies between 2 and 6 mm Hg. The finger pressure in the younger group was significantly higher than the corresponding arm pressure (+ 9.3 mm Hg, S.D. 6.8), but equalled this in the older group (– 0.5 mm Hg, S.D. 6.6). In the two groups the ankle pressures were + 19.3 mm Hg (S.D. 7.5) and + 23.6 mm Hg (S.D. 9.5) higher than the systolic arm pressures. The toe pressures were lower than the arm pressures, in the two groups – 4.8 mm Hg (S.D. 6.6) and – 9.8 mm Hg (S.D. 10.7) respectively. The ankle-toe gradient was in the younger group 24.3 mm Hg (S.D. 7.3) and in the older group 33.3 mm Hg (S.D. 12.1). Using mean minus 2.5 X S.D. as the lower limit of normality, arterial stenosis or occlusion in the leg is suggested by ankle pressure below the systolic arm pressure and in the foot by ankle-toe gradient exceeding 43 and 64 mm Hg in the two age groups respectively.
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Nielsen et al. (1972) studied this question.
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