Reliability of transcutaneous oxygen tension measurement on the back of the hand and complex regional pain syndrome after stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To verify the reproducibility of measurement of transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPo(2)) on the back of the hand in control subjects and stroke patients in the assessment of the complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I).


METHODS
Case series study.


METHODS
Physical medicine and rehabilitation department at a university hospital.


METHODS
Eighteen control subjects, 30 stroke patients without CRPS I, and 12 stroke patients with CRPS I.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
TcPo(2) was measured on the back of hands on 2 consecutive days using a polarographic technique. The reproducibility was evaluated by using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the coefficient of variation.


RESULTS
In the controls, the values of TcPo(2) were not reproducible, with an ICC of.51 (95% confidence interval [CI],.23-.72). Similarly, in the hemiplegics with and without CRPS I, TcPo(2) was not reproducible, with an ICC of.43 (95% CI, -.15 to.74) and.69 (95% CI,.45-.84), respectively. The differences between the 2 upper limbs were even less reproducible in each population.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of TcPo(2) on the hand using our procedure did not seem to be sufficiently reproducible for application to a pathology such as CRPS I.
Daviet
Jean-Christophe
JC
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hôpital J. Rebeyrol, CHU Dupuytren, 87042 Limoges cedex, France. Jean-Christophe.Daviet@chu-limoges.fr
Dudognon
Pierre
P
Preux
Pierre-Marie
PM
Rebeyrotte
Isabelle
I
Lacroix
Philippe
P
Munoz
Marguerite
M
Salle
Jean-Yves
JY
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis*; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
D010100:Oxygen