Cardiovascular Medicine Book

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Allen TestAka: Allen's Test, Wrist Collateral Circulation

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  1. Epidemiology
    1. Inadequate collateral flow in 3% hospitalized patients
  2. Causes of Inadequate Ulnar Circulation
    1. Normal anatomic variant
    2. Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome
  3. Indications
    1. Test wrist collateral Blood Flow
    2. Arterial Puncture for Arterial Blood Gas
  4. Technique
    1. Patient elevates hand and makes a fist for 20 seconds
    2. Firm pressure held against radial and ulnar arteries
    3. Patient opens hand and should blanche white
    4. Examiner releases only ulnar compression
  5. Normal Result
    1. Hand color flushes within 5 to 7 seconds
  6. Abnormal result: Inadequate collateral circulation
    1. Hand remains white until radial pressure released
    2. Risk of serious hand ischemia if radial vessel spasm
  7. Alternative means for assessing collateral circulation
    1. Doppler ultrasound
    2. Finger plethysmography

Allen's test (C0231664)

ConceptsDiagnostic Procedure (T060)
EnglishAllen's test
Spanishprueba de Allen
Parent Conceptsblood flow measurement (C0005776), Wrist maneuver (C1293105)
SourcesSCTSPA, SNOMEDCT
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)



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