A pitfall in the measurement of arterial blood pressure in the ischaemic limb during elevation

In order to evaluate if elevation of the ischaemic limb above heart level is an alternative to the conventionally applied method with external counterpressure for estimation of skin perfusion pressure, femoral and popliteal artery pressures were measured directly in eight patients with occlusion of the superficial femoral artery. The measurements were done in the horizontal position and during elevation of the calf above heart level. During elevation relative blood flow, measured by arterio-venous oxygen saturation differences, decreased compared with the horizontal position. In contrast the popliteal arterial pressure decreased only by 20% of the value expected from the degree of elevation of the calf above the level of the heart. Thus, it could be calculated that calf vascular resistance increased two- to three-fold on average during elevation. Four patients were reexamined with the venous pressure kept at 10 mmHg during elevation. In these patients, the increase in vascular resistance was significantly less compared with the situation in which venous pressure was 0 mmHg during elevation. The arterial pressure still did not decrease. It is concluded that perfusion pressure in the ischaemic lower extremity cannot be determined non-invasively by elevation of the extremity, probably due to collapse of segments of the vascular bed increasing the vascular resistance considerably.