The role of strain gauge plethysmography in the assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis.
Suspicion of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common reason for medical referral to hospital. Clinical signs and symptoms are notoriously unreliable, hence there is the need for objective testing. Strain gauge plethysmography (SGP) has been marketed as a technique for excluding lower limb DVT. We therefore set out to evaluate this screening tool. Over a 2 year period, 437 consecutive patients referred with suspected DVT were assessed using both plethysmography and Doppler ultrasound. When the two techniques were compared, plethysmography was found to have a negative predictive value of 90%. We conclude that strain gauge plethysmography has a role in the screening of patients with suspected DVT but should not be used as the sole method in patient assessment.
Department of Haematology, Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road, High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK. brian.robinson@tfh.nuth.northy.nhs.uk
Brian J
BJ
Robinson
Patrick J L
PJ
Kesteven
Simon T
ST
Elliott
D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D