We do not have any specific policy prohibiting a limited Ankle/Brachial pressure 
examination in the presence of Acute LE DVT.  We do have a policy against 
multiple level segmental pressure examination in the presence of Acute LE 
DVT, and have medical director support in any questions arising from this 
policy.  It has been the unofficial policy that we do not do even ankle 
pressures in the presence of known acute DVT, unless there is a question of 
Acute Arterial insufficiency that requires immediate medical attention, and the 
medical decisions will be affected in some way by the results of ankle 
pressures.  Otherwise we see no reason the arterial study cannot wait for a 
few weeks until the DVT has become stable.

BW 

On Fri, 7 May 2010 09:52:10 -0400, Ruhland, Greg F. 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hey everyone,
>   I always read the flow but I don't always participate, I feel the
>interested in what we might have to say about this subject.
>   My lab has co-medical directors, interventionalist and vascular
>surgeon. The question was brought up... do you perform an ABI on a
>patient positive for DVT. A fairly heated discussion followed from 3
>surgeons and 1 interventionalist very firmly divided on the subject. For
>all the obvious reasons. Possible to cause P.E., the need to know of
>arterial complications. Would an ankle pressure really be enough to
>cause P.E., Blah blah, blah. We all know there are good arguments for
>both schools of thought. 
>  What do you think, and does your lab have a set protocol? ( I think it
>should be different depending on each particular case, extent of DVT,
>other complications...ect. 
>  Just wondering if it will spark the same intensity of debate for one
>side or the other.
>     Greg Ruhland RVT
>   
>
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