Concurrent Validity of Digital Vascular Auscultation for the Assessment of Blood Flow Obliteration on the Radial Artery in Healthy Subjects

• Published in: Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 7; p. 494
• Main Authors: Cortés-Vega, María-Dolores, Casuso-Holgado, María Jesús, Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, Ángel, García-Bernal, María-Isabel, González-García, Paula, Rodríguez-Blanco, Cleofás
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 18.07.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Accuracy; Auscultation; Doppler; Headphones; Physical therapists; physical therapy; Researchers; stethoscope; thoracic outlet syndrome; Ultrasonic imaging; Validity; Veins & arteries; Japan
• ISSN: 2075-4418; 2075-4418
• DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10070494

This study aimed to determine the validity of digital vascular auscultation for the assessment of changes in the radial pulse in healthy subjects, using Doppler sonography as a validated test referent. Sixty-one non-symptomatic subjects (mean age of 52.5 ± 16.1 years) were assigned and evaluated under one of the following conditions: In condition 1, blood flow of the radial artery was not modified; for condition 2, blood flow of the radial artery was modified using a pressure sleeve around the humerus. The radial pulse was then measured three times with each diagnostic tool by three different blinded evaluators. Both instruments demonstrated a high association between the identification of blood flow modifications or not and the assigned condition (p < 0.001). A strong concordance between the two devices when detecting the “changes” or “no changes” in blood flow was demonstrated (k = 0.936, p < 0.001). Stethoscope sensitivity was 95%, and specificity was 99%. In conclusion, digital vascular auscultation seems to be a valid technique to examine blood flow changes of the radial artery in non-symptomatic subjects, and it could be useful for physical therapists when combined with provocative tests for the screening of possible thoracic outlet syndrome in patients.