The effects of leg/body position on transcutaneous oxygen measurements after lower-extremity arterial revascularization

A postoperative nursing goal in a patient with peripheral artery disease requiring lower-extremity arterial reconstruction surgery is to maintain blood flow and tissue oxygenation to the revascularized extremity. This may be achieved through extremity positioning. Transcutaneous oxygen (TcPO₂) measurements provide a noninvasive objective determination of oxygen at the skin surface and assessment of underlying circulation and tissue oxygenation. The purpose of this study was to determine which lower-extremity position afforded the highest TcPO₂ in 10 subjects with a lower-extremity arterial revascularization procedure preoperatively and 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Hypotheses included comparing preoperative and postoperative TcPO₂ measurements, leg skin temperatures, and limb volumes. The subjects were studied in three different leg/body positions: supine with legs extended, sitting with legs extended, and supine with legs-elevated 20 degrees using the Radiometer TCM30 (Radiometer; Copenhagen) and PhysitempTH-5 Thermalert (Physitemp; Clifton, NJ) monitors. There was no change in the postoperative leg TcPO₂ measurements or limb volumes compared with preoperative measurements (P = .12-.92). A small sample size and lack of peripheral artery disease stratification were among study limitations. Significant to the nursing care of patients with vascular dsease is the finding that any of the leg/body positions in this study could be used postoperatively on the revascularized extremity without decreasing TcPO₂ measurements.