Interpretation pitfalls of vascular laboratory testing

摘要: Vascular laboratory testing of patients with arterial and venous disease requires a thorough understanding the diagnostic instrumentation, anatomy, blood flow hemodynamics. Diagnostic typically uses both Doppler ultrasound, especially duplex ultrasonography, alone or in combination air plethysmography, to identify classify vascular disease. In symptomatic peripheral disease, clinical evaluation is enhanced by noninvasive testing, for many can provide sufficient information proceed medical treatment intervention without additional confirmatory imaging studies. The accuracy depends on precision reproducibility measurement (eg, pressure, pulse contour, velocity, volume rate). For example, ankle systolic pressure cannot always be assumed accurate because test result affected number factors, including biological variability, cuff size placement, examiner skill, presence tibial artery calcification preventing occlusion. Interpretation all an appreciation limitations, pitfalls, artifacts modality. errors incorrect diagnosis subsequent decision making.