[Reliability of TcPO(2) measurement in the upper limb].
BACKGROUND
Several reports suggest the usefulness of transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO(2)) in assessing the shoulder hand syndrome in stroke patients. But the literature presents a number of conflicting views on the variation of TcPO(2) values in this case. We found no report demonstrating the reliability of TcPO(2) measurements in the upper limb. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of TcPO(2) measurements and investigate whether TcPO(2) can be used to evaluate the shoulder hand syndrome after stroke.


METHODS
The TcPO(2) values were obtained on two separate occasions at one-day interval on 18 normal volunteers. Basal TcPO(2), local vasomotor reflex and reaction to ischemia were assessed.


RESULTS
Thirty-six upper limbs were tested. The reliability was bad. We found that measurements of TcPO(2) varied by an average of 7.89 +/- 7.6 mmHg for a coefficient of variation of 96%.


CONCLUSIONS
The reliability of TcPO(2) measurement was not sufficient to recommend this method in this indication.
Daviet
J C
JC
Département de médecine physique et de réadaptation, hôpital J-Rebeyrol, CHU Limoges, 87042 cedex, Limoges, France.
Rebeyrotte
I
I
Lacroix
P
P
Borie
M J
MJ
Verdié
C
C
Dudognon
P
P
Munoz
M
M
Salle
J Y
JY
D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*
D010100:Oxygen