Simplified outpatient lower extremity venography.

Improved lower extremity venography has been achieved by a distally directed superficial foot venipuncture. Supine position and short procedure time afford excellent patient acceptance. Dilute contrast is believed responsible for eliminating venospasm and postvenography phlebitis; the low sodium concentration permits safe evaluation of cardiac patients. Sequential imaging (and the use of anteroposterior and lateral projections) eliminates false positive and negative interpretations. Skip areas are avoided by the use of 90-cm (36-inch) cassettes.