Venous strain-gauge plethysmography--reference values.

OBJECTIVE

To establish sex and age related reference values for venous strain-gauge plethysmography.

DESIGN

Strain-gauge plethysmography measurements in healthy volunteers.

SETTING

Examinations performed in a University Hospital (Malmö) and a County Hospital (Kalmar).

PARTICIPANTS

Healthy volunteers, without history or signs of venous insufficiency. Twenty-seven men, 31 women, age range 15-74 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Refilled volume (RV;ml/100 ml tissue), half refilling time (T50;sec), and refilling time to 90% of RV (T90;sec).

RESULTS

RV; lower limit 0.6 ml/100 ml tissue. T50; lower limit 3.3 sec T90; lower limit age dependent and calculated from the ekvation: In (T90) = 3.864-0.0111 age-0.337, where in is the natural logarithm. Methodological error: RV (15%), T50 (28%), T90 (23%).

CONCLUSIONS

Strain-gauge plethysmography can be used to evaluate venous insufficiency and could be especially useful in follow-up studies after therapy. Normal age and sex related reference values are needed. In this study reference values are established. Preferably RV and T90 should be used.