Transcutaneous PO2 response to transient arterial occlusion in peripheral vascular disease detected by heating power oximeter.

Transcutaneous PO2 (TcpO2) was measured in 30 patients with peripheral arterial obstructive disease (PAOD) and in 30 age-matched controls in the hand and foot using a heating power electrode oximeter (HP-E). The HP-E was connected with a software modified monitor to simultaneously record changes in arterial stasis in the skin (TcpO2 mm Hg) and in the underlying tissue 3.5 to 4 mm from the HP-E (TcpO2 mW). In the hands of patients with PAOD, the following was found, lower mean values of the rest flow (R-F) and of the recovery area (Rc-Ar); delayed appearance of both a PO2 decrease after the start of stasis (ODT) and the increased value after the cuff deflation (ORT); and little relevance of flow changes in the tissues under the HP-E. In the foot homolateral to the obstructive lesion, the hemodynamic effects of the stasis were not consistently a result of circulatory insufficiency. In light-medium PAOD the correlation was more significant with the walking-free distance (WFD). However in severe PAOD, the perfusion was usually depressed and the variable values tended to flatten. This study confirmed the diagnostic reliability of this test in PAOD patients. Furthermore simultaneous exploration of two microvessel levels increased its diagnostic possibilities.