Study of Doppler ultrasonic peripheral vascular assessments performed by physical therapists

The Doppler ultrasound assessment is an effective diagnostic method for determining peripheral vascular status. Because the evaluation currently is not often performed by a physical therapist, the purpose of this study was to provide objective information on the competency of a group of physical therapists who were doing these evaluations. Therapists at a state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina performed a total of 577 Doppler assessments from May 1976 to May 1981. Forty-eight of these evaluations were followed by an invasive peripheral vascular diagnostic technique, either a venogram or an arteriogram. When Doppler results were compared with invasive results, 85 percent of the Doppler evaluations agreed with results obtained using the invasive techniques. There was complete agreement with arterial evaluations, and 81 percent agreement with venous assessments. These results support the contention that Doppler ultrasonic evaluations of peripheral vascular disease can be competently performed by physical therapists trained in the technique.