Journal «Angiology and Vascular Surgery» • 

1999 • VOLUME 5 • №1

ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF CHRONIC ARTERIAL INSUFFICIENCY

Zatevakhin I.I., Tsitsiashvili M.Sh., Yudin R.Yu., Zolkin V.N.,Zakharova A.A.
Chair of Surgical Diseases, Pediatric Faculty, Russian State Medical University,
Moscow, Russia

We have examined 56 patients suffering from atherosclerotic lesion of lower extremity arteries with the signs of chronic arterial insufficiency in the intermittent claudication stage. All the patients underwent treadmill testing in accordance with an riginal standard technique. The main parameters recorded were each concrete patient's ability to overcome 200 m. under standard walking conditions and the length of the individual restoration time after discontinuation of identical exercise. The latter characteristics was determined as the time of restoration to the initial level of the ankle-brachial index which dropped after exercise in all the patients.

Based on the empiric and statistical analysis of the data obtained the criterion for the restoration time after standard exercise was established, making it possible to objectively distribute the patients into two functional classes – with the «critical walking ability» and with the «limited walking ability». Patients with the «critical walking ability» are on the edge of compensation and are maximally close to the stage of critical ischemia. Therefore, they require urgent surgical treatment. Patients with the «limited walking ability» may be indicated conservative treatment under mandatory control exercised over time.

P. 5-12

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