Clinical trial NCT04806555: Diagnostic Value of Compression Ultrasound to Detect Acute Compartment Syndrome After Lower Limb Revascularisation
Official title: Diagnostic Value of Compression Ultrasound to Detect Acute Compartment Syndrome After Lower Limb Revascularisation
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Compartment Syndrome of Leg
Keywords: compartment syndrome
acute limb ischemia
intra compartmental pressure
compression ultrasound
vascular surgery
limb revascularisation
Lead sponsor: Kantonsspital Aarau
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-03-19
Enrollment: 38
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: DIAGNOSTIC

Brief summary: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) after revascularization for acute limb ischemia is a potentially limb-threatening condition and requires urgent fasciotomy. Compression ultrasound (CU) is an established method for measuring intravenous pressure in superficial veins and, for example, can determine central venous pressure in critically ill patients. In cadaver studies, compression ultrasound has been proven to correlate with invasive intra compartmental pressure (ICP) measurements. This study aims to determine CU's added diagnostic value compared to ICP in detecting ACS after revascularisation.

Detailed description: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) after revascularization for acute limb ischemia is a potentially limb-threatening condition and requires urgent fasciotomy. It occurs when the tissue pressure within a closed muscle compartment exceeds the perfusion pressure and results in muscle and nerve ischemia.

If clinically suspected, intra- compartmental pressure (ICP) is measured by inserting a needle into the area of ACS, usually the anterior tibial muscle compartment, while an attached pressure monitor records the pressure. This invasive diagnostic method is widely used as a standard with a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 98%.

Compression ultrasound (CU) is an established method for measuring intravenous pressure in superficial veins and, for example, can determine central venous pressure in critically ill patients. An ultrasound translucent probe measures the pressure applied on the skin surface with the ultrasound transducer. In cadaver studies, compression ultrasound has been proven to correlate with invasive ICP measurements. The elasticity ratio (ER, compartment diameter with and without external pressure) validated in a recently published animal model has a sensitivity of 94.4% and a specificity of 88.9% to diagnose a compartment syndrome properly. The first results in six trauma patients showed that the ER less than 10,5% of the anterior tibial compartment had a sensitivity of 95,8% and a specificity of 87,5% to an appropriate diagnosis of ACS. Thus, this non-invasive, low-cost, and secure diagnostic technique has not been validated in patients with ACS after revascularisation for acute lower limb ischemia yet has the potential to discriminate clinically suspected ACS sensitively.

This study aims to determine CU's added diagnostic value compared to ICP in detecting ACS after revascularisation.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical suspicion of acute compartment syndrome after revascularisation of lower limb

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not fulfilling any of the inclusion criteria
* Patients refusing to participate

Primary outcomes:
measure: Elasticity ratio (ER)
timeFrame: baseline
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Inter- and intra-rater reliability
timeFrame: baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Aarau
country: Switzerland
facility: Kantonsspital Aarau
state: Aargau
Study officials:
affiliation: Kantonsspital Aarau
name: Andrej Isaak, Dr.med.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Thalhammer C, Aschwanden M, Odermatt A, Baumann UA, Imfeld S, Bilecen D, Marsch SC, Jaeger KA. Noninvasive central venous pressure measurement by controlled compression sonography at the forearm. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007 Oct 16;50(16):1584-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2007.07.022. Epub 2007 Oct 1.
citation: Thalhammer C, Segerer S, Augustoni M, Jacomella V, Clemens RK, Wuthrich RP, Amann-Vesti BR, Husmann M. Acute effects of haemodialysis on central venous and arterial pressure characteristics. Nephrology (Carlton). 2015 Feb;20(2):91-5. doi: 10.1111/nep.12356.
citation: Bloch A, Tomaschett C, Jakob SM, Schwinghammer A, Schmid T. Compression sonography for non-invasive measurement of lower leg compartment pressure in an animal model. Injury. 2018 Mar;49(3):532-537. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2017.11.036. Epub 2017 Nov 27.
citation: Sellei RM, Wollnitz J, Reinhardt N, de la Fuente M, Radermacher K, Weber C, Kobbe P, Hildebrand F. Non-invasive measurement of muscle compartment elasticity in lower limbs to determine acute compartment syndrome: Clinical results with pressure related ultrasound. Injury. 2020 Feb;51(2):301-306. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2019.11.027. Epub 2019 Nov 21.