Value of the ultrasonic flow detector in the management of peripheral vascular disease

A transcutaneous ultrasonic flow detector was employed to determine arterial and venous flow in patients with peripheral vascular disease at Walter Reed General Hospital. The flow detector provided useful information not obtainable by the usual clinical means and its use often avoided the necessity of angiography. Information on the quality of peripheral arterial flow was particularly useful in patients in whom distal pulses were lacking because of low systemic pressure, early postoperative shivering and vasoconstriction, peripheral edema, and proximal occlusive arterial lesions. The flow detector allowed determination of the patency of venous repairs, aided in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and valvular incompetency, and was useful in the diagnosis and management of arteriovenous malformations. Further evaluation is warranted.