RESEARCH - Pulse oximetry for the assessment of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients

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J Diabetes Complications. 1997 Jan-Feb;11(1):35-9.

Pulse oximetry for the assessment of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic

patients.

Modi KD, Sharma AK, Mishra SK, Mithal A.

Department of Medical Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute

of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Altered vascular responses to various thermal stimuli correlate well with

the changes of autonomic neuropathy. These responses were assessed by the

use of pulse oximetry. Standard cardiac autonomic function tests were

performed in normal subjects (n = 12), diabetic patients without autonomic

neuropathy (n = 8), and diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy (n = 7).

Autonomic functions in the same patients then were assessed by estimating

the severity of vasospasm in response to cold stimulus with the help of

pulse oximetry. Percentage fall in oxygen saturation at 15, 30, 60, 90, and

120 sec of exposure to cold stimulus was recorded on pulse oximeter. Time

required for recovery and presence or absence of rebound rise following

removal of cold stimulus were noted. In diabetics with autonomic neuropathy,

the rate of fall in percentage oxygen saturation was significantly slower (p

< 0.0001), less intense (p < 0.0001) and with delayed subsequent recovery (p

= 0.013), compared to normal subjects. Rebound rise in oxygen saturation was

absent in all the diabetics with autonomic neuropathy, compared to 2 of 12

normal subjects (p < 0.0001). We conclude that pulse oximetry may be a

potentially useful, simple, and noninvasive bedside method for assessment of

diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

PMID: 9025011

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=9\

025011

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