title: Electrical foot stimulation: a potential new method of deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare venous blood flow velocity of intermittent pneumatic compression to electrical stimulation of the foot. A prospective randomized controlled study of 40 healthy volunteers was conducted. Subjects were seated for 4 hours during which they received electrical stimulation of the sole of the foot or intermittent pneumatic compression of the foot... Short-term electrical foot stimulation is at least as effective as foot intermittent pneumatic compression in increasing popliteal and femoral blood flow velocity. [corrected] Popliteal and femoral venous blood flow velocities were measured via Doppler ultrasonography. Blood flow velocity in the nonstimulated or noncompressed lower extremity served as a simultaneous control. For both the femoral and popliteal veins, the electrical foot stimulation group exhibited a greater increase in blood flow velocity than the intermittent pneumatic compression group. Electrical foot stimulation was noninferior relative to standard intermittent pneumatic compression. Specifically, this result of a greater increase in blood flow velocity is achieved at time = 120 minutes for the femoral vein (t = 2.70; p = .005) and time = 120 (t = 2.75; p = .004) and 240 (t = 2.27; p = .014) minutes for the popliteal vein. Short-term electrical foot stimulation is at least as effective as knee-high intermittent pneumatic compression in increasing popliteal and femoral blood flow velocity. Electrical foot stimulation has the potential to be an effective method of deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, The University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA. czyrny@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Czyrny
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Wilding
authors.forename: Christopher H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hirsh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D048228:Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011152:Popliteal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*