Monitoring of recovery following exercise in the Doppler ultrasound evaluation of lower limb arterial disease.
Measurement of the ratio of ankle to brachial systolic blood pressure (pressure index) is an integral part of the Doppler ultrasound investigation of lower limb arterial disease. The recovery of this index following exercise gives further information regarding the clinical significance of the disease. However, serial sphygmomanometry may prolong recovery time by intermittent reduction of blood flow and for certain categories of patients the technique may prove impossible or will lead to unreliable results. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of Pourcelot's Resistance Index, measured from the Doppler blood velocity spectrum, as an alternative means of monitoring recovery. The results show that peripheral resistance is likely to fall following pressure measurement, indicating a potential effect on recovery time. There is reasonable correlation between post-exercise pressure and resistance indices (r = 0.69, P less than 0.001), and good correlation between their recovery times (r = 0.84, P less than 0.001) with no systematic deviation. Resistance index is therefore a viable alternative to pressure index for the monitoring of post-exercise recovery, and overcomes the problems associated with sphygmomanometry.
Dudley
N J
NJ
Department of Medical Physics and Computing, County Hospital, Lincoln, UK.
Green
I R
IR
Griffiths
P A
PA
D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D014463:Ultrasonography