Article date: December 2000
By: Jacobus Burggraaf, Michiel J. B. Kemme, Linda M. Muller, Rik C. Schoemaker, Adam F. Cohen, in Volume 50, Issue 6, pages 621-623
Aims To determine the influence of the hand circulation on the determination of venous distensibility with venous occlusion plethysmography.
Methods In a randomised study, duplicate measurements of forearm venous distensibility, with and without a wrist cuff, were made over occlusion periods of 3 and 12 min in eight volunteers. Treatments were compared with paired Student's t‐tests and differences are presented as 95% confidence intervals (CI). Intra‐subject variability was assessed with analysis of variance.
Results Non‐significant differences in increases in forearm volume between the occlusions with and without wrist cuff were found for the 3 min occlusion (CI: −0.4, + 0.2%) and the 12 min occlusion period (CI: −0.7, + 0.2%). However, the coefficient of variation was lower with the use of a wrist cuff; after 3 min occlusion (12% vs 19%) and after 12 min of occlusion (14% vs 24%). Forearm volume after 12 min of venous occlusion was 0.5% (CI: + 0.4, + 0.7) higher than after 3 min.
Conclusions Although venous distensibility was equal when assessed with and without wrist cuff, exclusion of the hand circulation reduces intraindividual variability. Equilibrium in forearm volume is not reached after 3 min period of venous occlusion, as often assumed. The magnitude of the additional increase after prolonged occlusion stresses the need for well‐controlled studies.
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2000.00307.x
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