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The impact of intermittent pneumatic compression devices on deep venous flow velocity in patients with congestive
Yoshio Nose1, Kazuya Murata, Yasuaki Wada
1Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan. nose@c-able.ne.jp
Insights
Sequential foot and calf intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) effectively enhances venous flow in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), unlike impulse foot IPC, suggesting its utility in DVT prevention.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is used for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prevention.
- Its effects on lower extremity venous hemodynamics in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate IPC's impact on popliteal and soleal vein flow velocities.
- Compare the efficacy of sequential foot and calf IPC (SFC-IPC) versus impulse foot IPC (IF-IPC) in enhancing venous flow in CHF patients.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution Doppler ultrasound measured popliteal and soleal vein flow velocities.
- Measurements were taken at rest and during SFC-IPC and IF-IPC in 19 CHF patients and 19 controls.
- IF-IPC used a pneumatic impulse generator at 130 mmHg.
Main Results:
- Resting popliteal venous flow velocity was lower in CHF patients.
- Both IPC types increased venous velocity, but IF-IPC's effect was less pronounced in CHF patients.
- SFC-IPC significantly increased soleal and popliteal vein velocities in CHF patients, comparable to controls. IF-IPC did not increase soleal vein velocity in CHF patients.
Conclusions:
- SFC-IPC demonstrated a significant increase in mean and peak venous velocities in both soleal and popliteal veins in CHF patients.
- IF-IPC did not show similar benefits in CHF patients.
- SFC-IPC may offer favorable effects for DVT prevention in CHF patients.
Background:
Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) has been used to prevent deep venous thrombosis (DVT), but the effects of IPC on the hemodynamics of popliteal and soleal veins, especially in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of IPC on the flow velocity of deep veins in the lower extremities and to compare the efficacy of two different types of IPC in deep venous flow enhancement in patients with CHF.
Methods:
Flow velocities of popliteal and soleal veins were recorded in 19 patients with CHF and in 19 control subjects using a high-resolution linear probe. Peak and mean flow velocities were measured (1) at rest, (2) with sequential foot and calf IPC (SFC-IPC) which consists of an electrically driven air compressor and four air chambers, and (3) with impulse foot IPC (IF-IPC) which consists of a pneumatic impulse generator operated at an applied pressure of 130 mmHg.
Results:
In the resting condition, popliteal venous flow velocity in the CHF group was attenuated (12.8+/-4.7 cm/s vs. 21.1+/-13.5 cm/s; p<0.05). Both SFC-IPC and IF-IPC increased venous velocity, but the increase with IF-IPC in CHF patients was lower than that in control subjects. In the soleal veins, after applying SFC-IPC, the peak and mean velocity in CHF increased to the same extent as in the control group. IF-IPC increased soleal venous velocity in control subjects, but there was no increase in CHF patients.
Conclusion:
Two-dimensional Doppler scanning revealed a significant increase in the mean and peak velocities in the soleal and popliteal veins with SFC-IPC but not with IF-IPC in patients with CHF. These results indicate that SFC-IPC could have favorable effects in preventing DVT in patients with CHF.
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