Clinic screening for peripheral vascular disease in diabetes mellitus: Reliability of history, palpation of pulses and doppler ultrasound examination

Abstract

AbstractA sample of 142 (60 male, 82 female) randomly selected outpatients (94 non‐insulin‐dependent diabetics, 48 insulin‐dependent diabetics) routinely attending a diabetic clinic were carefully assessed for evidence of peripheral vascular disease by history of intermittent claudication, palpation of lower limb arterial pulses and Doppler ultrasound examination of the posterior tibial artery. Palpation of the pulses was as reliable (92.5%) as Doppler examination (90.6%) in establishing the diagnosis. A history of intermittent claudication was found in only 60.4% of patients with clear clinical evidence of peripheral vascular disease. Palpation of foot pulses may be the most efficient way of screening for peripheral vascular disease in the busy diabetic clinic.