OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of the ankle/arm index obtained by echo-doppler as a method of assessing patients with a clinical picture suggesting peripheral arteriopathy. SETTING: Sama de Langreo Health Centre (Asturias). PATIENTS: 83 patients (166 cases) between 23 and 90, who attended for treatment and had a possible diagnosis of peripheral arteriopathy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The existence of pedal and posterior tibial pulses was explored by echo-doppler; then the arm/ankle index was calculated. Data on age, sex and concomitant pathologies were collected. The pedal pulse was negative in 11.4%, the posterior tibial in 9.2%. The arm/ankle index was significantly lower in males (0.86) than in women (1.07) (Student's t test 5.11, p < 0.0001). It was lower in diabetics (0.896) than in non-diabetics (0.95), but this was not significant (Student's t 0.99, p < 0.323). CONCLUSIONS: Echo-doppler measurement of the ankle-arm index is confirmed as a valid instrument to assist diagnosis and assessment of the severity of ischaemia in Primary Care patients whose clinical picture suggests peripheral arteriopathy.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of the ankle/arm index obtained by echo-doppler as a method of assessing patients with a clinical picture suggesting peripheral arteriopathy. SETTING:Sama de Langreo Health Centre (Asturias). PATIENTS: 83 patients (166 cases) between 23 and 90, who attended for treatment and had a possible diagnosis of peripheral arteriopathy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The existence of pedal and posterior tibial pulses was explored by echo-doppler; then the arm/ankle index was calculated. Data on age, sex and concomitant pathologies were collected. The pedal pulse was negative in 11.4%, the posterior tibial in 9.2%. The arm/ankle index was significantly lower in males (0.86) than in women (1.07) (Student's t test 5.11, p < 0.0001). It was lower in diabetics (0.896) than in non-diabetics (0.95), but this was not significant (Student's t 0.99, p < 0.323). CONCLUSIONS: Echo-doppler measurement of the ankle-arm index is confirmed as a valid instrument to assist diagnosis and assessment of the severity of ischaemia in Primary Care patients whose clinical picture suggests peripheral arteriopathy.