The measurement of digital systolic blood pressure by strain gauge technique.
The systolic blood pressure on the finger, toe, and ankle has been measured by a strain gauge technique in 10 normal subjects aged 17-31 years and 14 normal subjects aged 43-57 years. The standard deviation in repeated measurements lies between 2 and 6 mm Hg. The finger pressure in the younger group was significantly higher than the corresponding arm pressure (+ 9.3 mm Hg, S.D. 6.8), but equalled this in the older group (- 0.5 mm Hg, S.D. 6.6). In the two groups the ankle pressures were + 19.3 mm Hg (S.D. 7.5) and + 23.6 mm Hg (S.D. 9.5) higher than the systolic arm pressures. The toe pressures were lower than the arm pressures, in the two groups - 4.8 mm Hg (S.D. 6.6) and - 9.8 mm Hg (S.D. 10.7) respectively. The ankle-toe gradient was in the younger group 24.3 mm Hg (S.D. 7.3) and in the older group 33.3 mm Hg (S.D. 12.1). Using mean minus 2.5 X S.D. as the lower limit of normality, arterial stenosis or occlusion in the leg is suggested by ankle pressure below the systolic arm pressure and in the foot by ankle-toe gradient exceeding 43 and 64 mm Hg in the two age groups respectively.
Nielsen
P E
PE
Dept. of Clinical Physiology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Bell
G
G
Lassen
N A
NA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000842:Ankle / Q000502:physiology; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008875:Middle Aged; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014034:Toes / Q000502:physiology