Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to head, organs, and limbs.
Limitations of Ankle Brachial Index (ABI)
The Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) test has been in use for diagnosis and evaluation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) for over half a century. Nevertheless, it is not without its issues.
- Training is required before the operator is able to carry out reliable measurements
- Some patients feel pain in the leg during cuff inflation
- It takes time to perform the measurement
- False values can result from medial calcification of the tibial/peroneal arteries which may prevent the measurement of ABI.
Why measure Toe Systolic Pressure?
The toe arteries are affected by medial calcification later than the leg arteries. The toe systolic pressure can be measured to circumvent the problem of medial calcification of the tibial/peroneal arteries.
Toe pressure measurements show a good agreement with ABI and remain measurable and reliable in patients with arterial wall calcification.
Does the measurement of toe systolic pressure using SysToe improve the diagnosis and reliability of diagnosis?
The SysToe is easy to use, quick and fully automatic and not operator dependent. It improves clinical evaluation and follow-up of PAD in every day practice.
SysToe drastically improves the reliability of distal toe pressure measurement, especially in diabetic and chronic renal failure patients, since the measurement of ankle pressure and ankle brachial index may be difficult or impossible in these patients because of medial calcification.
As a fully automated, totally non-invasive and painless (unlike ankle pressure measurement) technique, systolic toe pressure measurement with SysToe is easily performed outside the Vascular Lab by Diabetologists, Podiatrists and General Practitioners for the follow-up of patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Therefore, the use of more expensive examinations (such as complete duplex Doppler ultrasound of lower limb arteries) can now be reduced. The use of a SysToe can have major clinical care pathway advantages and cost savings as well as saving patient assessment time.
PMS customers use the SysToe for
- Assessment and diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease
- Diagnosis of critical limb ischemia
- Follow up of diabetic patients, patients with chronic renal failure, elderly patients
- Assessment of healing potential of ulcers
