The arm ergometer exercise test for evaluating coronary artery status in patients presenting for peripheral vascular...

Various non-invasive methods exist for evaluating the cardiac status of patients presenting for peripheral vascular surgery. Methods involving exercise on a treadmill are frequently used, but adequate testing may be limited in amputees and patients with severe claudication or rest pain. An alternative means of exercise is the arm ergometer. A study of 130 patients subjected to arm ergometer exercise testing before peripheral vascular surgery was undertaken. A control group of 29 consecutive patients had coronary angiography. ECG exercise testing using the arm ergometer showed a sensitivity for detecting coronary artery disease of 46% and a specificity of 100%. In total, 42 tests were positive, 21 on patients with no symptoms of ischaemic heart disease and no resting ECG changes indicative of ischaemia, and 4 in patients with atypical angina. Muscle fatigue proved a problem, especially in women; while the accuracy of the test did not decline in patients over the age of 60 years when compared with those under this age.