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Pulse Oximetric Toe Pressure Useful In Detecting Peripheral Arterial Disease In Diabetics

Pulse oximetric toe pressure is a useful screening method for detecting peripheral arterial disease in primary health care patients with diabetes mellitus.

This method can be used in out-patient clinics on large numbers of patients in a short time, and it avoids the problem of media sclerosis, according to investigators from the Department of Medicine at Varberg Hospital in Varberg, Sweden.

The investigators studied 250 extremities of 126 diabetes patients - the total population of diabetes mellitus patients from two primary health care districts. Pulse palpation, ankle Doppler pressure, systolic toe pressure using the pulse oximetric method, arm blood pressures, neuropathy screening and laboratory tests were all performed.

Systolic ankle Doppler pressure and ankle/arm pressure indices were significantly higher than those achieved with the pulse oximetric method.

Significantly more pathological indices were shown with the pulse oximetric method compared with the Doppler pressure method, although the Doppler method showed significantly more indices above 1.3.

Ankle Doppler pressure measurements may overestimate peripheral arterial pressure, the investigators suggest. They conclude that the pulse oximetric toe pressure method is a valuable screening method in primary health care populations.
Diabet Med 2002; 19(4): 307-310. "Evaluation of a new screening method for detecting peripheral arterial disease in a primary health care population of patients with diabetes mellitus"

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