Use of Doppler ultrasound in leg ulcer assessment

Davies, Colin BSc(Hons), RGN, FAETC

Colin Davies BSc(Hons), RGN, FAETC, is Leg Ulcer Nurse Specialist, Vascular Research Laboratory, Cheltenham General Hospital, Gloucestershire. Email: [email protected]

Date of acceptance: May 14 2001.

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Nursing Standard 15(44):p 72-74, July 18, 2001.

Summary

Adequate patient assessment is the most important element of chronic wound management, and the use of holistic techniques enables practitioners to make informed clinical judgements. Doppler ultrasound is integral to the holistic assessment of leg ulcers. This article reviews the procedure for measuring ankle/brachial pressure indices using Doppler ultrasound and outlines various diagnostic tests that employ the Doppler principle.