[Reflection spectrophotometry determination of cutaneous hemoglobin saturation in patients arterial occlusive...

By a spectrophotometrical method, the oxygenation and relative concentration of hemoglobin in the skin of the forefoot was determined in 40 patients with advanced peripheral arterial occlusive disease. While the Hb-saturation at rest was hardly different from normals, leg elevation provoked a marked decrease of both parameters, especially in patients with critical ischemia. In these patients, reactive hyperemia was markedly delayed and impaired. External heat application failed to cause a hyperemic saturation increase in 14 patients and produced a decrease in 8 patients, 6 of whom experienced an infavourable clinical outcome. The method seems specially suited to assess states of severe ischemia.