Physical Examination and Chronic Lower-Extremity Ischemia a Critical Review
ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION Physical Examination and Chronic Lower-Extremity Ischemia A Critical Review Steven R. McGee, MD; Edward J. Boyko, MD, MPH Objective: To determine the clinical utility of physical cians diagnose the presence of peripheral arterial dis- examination in patients with suspected chronic ische- ease: abnormal pedal pulses, a unilaterally cool extrem- mia of the lower extremities. ity, a prolonged venous filling time, and a femoral bruit. Other physical signs help determine the extent and dis- Data Sources: MEDLINE search (January 1966 to tribution of vascular disease, including an abnormal fem- January 1997), personal files, and bibliographies of oral pulse, lower-extremity bruits, warm knees, and the textbooks on physical diagnosis, surgery, and vascular Buerger test. The capillary refill test and the findings of surgery. foot discoloration, atrophic skin, and hairless extremi- ties are unhelpful in diagnostic decisions. Mathematical Study Selection: Both authors independently graded formulas, derived from 2 studies using multivariate analy- the studies as level 1, 2, or 3, according to predeter- sis, allow clinicians to estimate the probability of periph- mined criteria. Criteria deemed essential for analysis of eral arterial disease in their patients. sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were (1) clear definition of study population, (2) clear definition of Conclusion: Certain aspects of the physical examination physical examination maneuver, and (3) use of an ac- help clinicians make accurate judgments about
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