RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To validate defining characteristics of ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion using vasomotor function assessment. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with hypertensive cardiomiopathy were evaluated for 18 defining characteristics of ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion and underwent vasomotor function assessment with induction of reactive hyperemia, intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine, and pulse wave velocity measurement. The Student's t test and Kruskall-Wallis test were used to assess the significance of relationships between defining characteristics and vasomotor function data. FINDINGS: Diminished lower extremity pulses were associated with diminished forearm blood flow during acetylcholine infusion; left ventricular overload, intermittent claudication, and diminished skin moisture were associated with elevated pulse wave velocity values. CONCLUSION: The defining characteristics of ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion were highly associated with vasomotor function data as "gold standards" for that diagnosis. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses should be able to accurately assess diminished lower extremity pulses, intermittent claudication, and diminished skin moisture as relevant characteristics of ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion in patients with hypertensive cardiomiopathy.
