Page 40 - Virtual Vascular Vol 3

Hand held Doppler machines are readily available in vascular wards. For
peripheral arterial assessment, 8 MHz frequency probe is used.

Handheld Doppler Ultrasound

Continuous wave

Doppler at 8 MHz

frequency

Learning Points:

• Handheld Doppler device is important in providing non-invasive

live audio (or video) of blood flow

• Using bi-directional Doppler ultrasound, the hand held Doppler

machine provides convenient bed-side vascular assessment:

• Verify blood flow before, during, and after a procedure in

patients with peripheral arterial disease, especially in high

risk patients with diabetes or renal impairment.

• Measure ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI)

• Bi-directional Doppler also allows visualization of blood

flow direction during the cardiac cycle; this is useful in

assessing patients with venous reflux, in saphenofemoral
junction incompetence, for instance.

• More sophisticated pocket size Doppler ultrasound probes are
available which can be connected to smart phones (with an

Apps) or portable tablet computer for visualization of the flow

patterns

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