Abstract
For the diagnosis of ischemia, the observed clinical symptoms must be verified by performing tests. Although the ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) offers the simplest and fastest technique, the additional use of loading is useful for detecting mild peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Because the ankle arteries readily become calcified, blood pressure can be evaluated in the toe arteries, which are not easily calcified. Intermittent claudication should be assessed by gait representation techniques; further, resting pain, ulceration, and necrosis must be assessed by evaluating skin microcirculation. These physiologic tests are useful for assessing severity, differentiating from other causes, and indicating the timing of treatment.
