ABI
Also written as: ABI — ankle-brachial index
Ankle-brachial index; diagnostic ratio comparing blood pressure in the ankle to arm pressure to assess peripheral arterial disease.
Full Definition
The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive diagnostic test used to detect peripheral arterial disease by comparing the systolic blood pressure measured at the ankle with that measured at the arm. A normal ABI ranges from 1.0 to 1.4, while values below 0.9 indicate peripheral arterial disease. Values above 1.4 may suggest vessel calcification often seen in diabetes. The test is performed using a Doppler ultrasound device and blood pressure cuffs, making it an essential screening tool in vascular medicine.
Usage
Usage note: Always spell out on first use in patient documents.
In Context
- "The patient's ABI of 0.65 confirmed significant peripheral arterial disease in the lower extremities." — diagnostic report
- "Serial ABI measurements showed improvement from 0.58 to 0.82 following the bypass procedure." — post-operative assessment