Avaliação da sensibilidade cutânea em pés de pacientes diabéticos através do Pressure Specified Sensory Device TM / Evaluation of cutaneous sensibility threshold on the feet of diabetic patients with the Pressure Specified Sensory Device(TM)

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Neuropathy is a severe progressive loss of protective sensation on the feet, making the patient more vulnerable to mechanical trauma and consequently more suitable to the development of chronic wounds, major distortion of the foot bone architecture and eventually to limb amputation. Prophylaxis should be enforced to avoid foot ulceration and for that, evaluation of the degree of loss of sensation on the skin is essential. The PSSD (Pressure Specified Sensory Device(TM)) was developed in order to quantify the threshold of pressure applied to the skin that could be recognized as positive by the patient. Pressure of one or two points is tested both statically and with movement, thus assessing the function of fast and slow response nerve fibers. Threshold of two-point discrimination was also measured in mm. Thirty four (n = 34) diabetic patients, type II, with no previous history of wounds on the lower extremity were studied using the tests, one point static (1PE), one point moving (1PD) and two points static (2 PE), and moving (2 PD) on the cutaneous territory of the fibular nerve and posterior tibial nerve (two territories - medial plantar and calcaneous nerves). The control group (28 non diabetic patients) was assessed by the same exams and the results were compared. In the diabetic group the cutaneous territories were also evaluated using the conventional Semmes-Weinstein filament nº 5,07 e vibrometer of the 128 Hz. Altered values were observed for the static and dynamic tests over the three studied nerve territories. The differences were statically significant (p <0,05). Comparing the threshold of sensibility between sensitive and non sensitive diabetic patients to MSW nº 5,07 test, we observed that p-value range was 0,018 0,113 when 1PE test was applied, and 0,002 0,083 when 2PE test was applied, according to the cutaneous territories evaluated. Numeric quantification of the threshold of pressure allows us to determine the status of the fiber/receptor structures as well as the functional deficit of nerve fibers. Our findings suggest that PSSD(TM) is an adjuvant tool to evaluate the degree of loss of sensation on the skin.

ASSUNTO(S)

feet sensitivity and specificity limiar sensorial receptores sensitivos statistics nonparametric neuropatias diabéticas diabetic neuropathies touch estatísticas não paramétricas sensibilidade e especificidade tato sensory receptors sensory thresholds

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