Accuracy of patients own estimate of intermittent claudication

Abstract

Seventy-three consecutive patients with symptoms indicative of arterial claudication were analyzed for the nature of their ailment and accuracy of their own estimation of claudication distance. This was done by questionnaire and vascular laboratory evaluation including exercise test on treadmill and distal pressure measurements. Twenty-two patients (29%) appeared not to have incapacitating claudication as 5 of them had normal distal pressures at rest as well as after exercise and 17 could complete the test despite abnormal indices. Furthermore, 9 had restricting factors other than claudication. For the remaining 42 patients we could find no correlation between subjective and objective walking distance (r² = 0.06) using linear correlation analysis. Spoken testimony tends to give only a rough estimate of the underlying disease and walking capacity. Categorization of patients prior to treatment or any therapeutic or other study should not be done based solely on spoken testimony.