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

• Main Authors: María-Dolores Cortés-Vega, María Jesús Casuso-Holgado, Ángel Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, María-Isabel García-Bernal, Paula González-García, Cleofás Rodríguez-Blanco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
• Series: Diagnostics
• Subjects: stethoscope; Doppler; auscultation; physical therapy; thoracic outlet syndrome
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/7/494

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 (<i>p </i>< 0.001). A strong concordance between the two devices when detecting the “changes” or “no changes” in blood flow was demonstrated (<i>k</i> = 0.936, <i>p </i>< 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.