Comparison of bleeding times performed on the arm and the leg

The standardized bleeding time (SBT) is used to assess hemostatic function in patients suspected of having coagulation disorders. Because injury to the arm or the presence of intravascular cannulae often preclude the determination of SBTs on the upper extremity, the authors compared the SBT on the arm with the bleeding time on the leg to ascertain the efficacy of the lower extremity for this test. Thirty healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Bleeding times were performed on the forearm and on the medial aspect of the calf. The subjects then ingested 650 mg of aspirin, and the tests were repeated two hours later on the contralateral extremities. The mean preaspirin SBT (5.6 +/- 1.7 minutes did not differ significantly from the mean bleeding time on the leg (5.8 +/- 2.3 minutes) (P greater than 0.50), nor was there a significant difference between the mean postaspirin bleeding time on the arm (10.2 +/- 4.3 minutes) and that on the leg (9.9 +/- 3.7 minutes) (P greater than 0.50). On the basis of this study, the authors conclude that the arm and leg are equally reliable sites for determining bleeding times in normal persons and are equally sensitive for detection of aspirin-induced prolongation of bleeding.