Measuring the ankle-brachial index using a stethoscope

Can we measure the ankle-brachial index using only a stethoscope? A pilot study. Fam Pract. 2009 Feb;26(1):22-6. Epub 2008 Nov 20. PMID: 19022870

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) by ausculation is less sensitive than an earlier report of the ABI by palpation. Both methods are less sensitive than the ABI by Doppler ultrasonography.

Patients:

• Cross sectional study of 81 consecutive patients referred for arterograms of any region of the body

Test:

• Ankle-brachial index by auscultation

Reference standard:

• ABI Doppler ultrasonography less than 0.9
  
• Abnormal in 17% of subjects.

Accuracy:

• Sensitivity 71%
• Specificity 91%

• Positive predictive value 62%
• Negative predictive value 94%
• Click here to adjust the pretest probability and recalculate predictive values

Last year, a study reported that the ankle-brachial index by palpation has a sensitivity and specificity of 88% and 82%, respectively as compared to handheld Doppler ultrasonography (PMID 18567610).

This has been added to http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ankle_brachial_index