ABI, PVR and TBI: What Are Those Tests Actually Checking?

If I told you that I was going to do an ABI, PVR and TBI on you, you might think I was speaking another language.

And honestly, unless you've spent time around vascular testing, there's no reason you would know what those letters mean.

I'm an ultrasound technologist who has worked in vascular imaging for more than 20 years, so let me explain what these tests actually do in plain English.

They're all ways of looking at blood flow in your legs and feet.

ABI: A blood pressure comparison

ABI stands for ankle-brachial index.

The name sounds complicated, but the test is basically a comparison.

I take blood pressure measurements in your arms and your ankles and compare the numbers.

Why?

I'm looking for information about how well blood is getting down into your legs.

The test can help identify findings that may be associated with peripheral arterial disease, commonly called PAD.

And here's something many people don't realize: you don't always have obvious symptoms when you have a circulation problem.

PVR: Looking at blood moving through your legs

PVR stands for pulse volume recording.

For this test, I place blood pressure-style cuffs around different parts of your legs.

Instead of just taking a blood pressure number, the equipment records the changes in blood volume as your heart pumps blood through your legs.

Think of it as another way of looking at how blood is moving through your legs.

It gives me additional information about your circulation.

TBI: Looking all the way down to your toes

TBI stands for toe-brachial index.

It's similar to the ABI, except I'm taking a pressure measurement at your toe instead of your ankle.

Why would I do that?

Sometimes the arteries around the ankle can become stiff and difficult to measure accurately. This can happen with certain conditions that affect the blood vessels.

The smaller vessels in the toe can sometimes give us additional information.

That's one reason TBI can be particularly useful when we're evaluating circulation in people with diabetes or other conditions that can affect the smaller blood vessels.

What does the testing feel like?

The testing is noninvasive.

I'll put cuffs around your arms, ankles, and/or toes depending on which tests we're performing. The cuffs inflate, similar to a regular blood pressure cuff.

You don't have to get undressed for some giant machine, and there's no needle or radiation involved.

You simply lie back and let me do the testing.

Why does circulation in your feet matter?

Your legs and feet need a good blood supply just like every other part of your body.

Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and plays an important role in healing.

Circulation problems can sometimes be difficult to notice on your own, especially early on.

That's why I think this type of screening is worth understanding.

Why do we offer it at work?

This goes right back to why I created ForgedWell.

I've spent more than 20 years working with vascular patients and seeing what happens when problems aren't recognized until they become more serious.

I also know that the people working the longest hours and hardest jobs aren't always the people making regular healthcare appointments.

So we decided to take the testing to them.

You don't have to remember to make another appointment six months from now. You don't have to drive somewhere on your day off.

We bring the testing to your workplace.

Our goal is simple: make it easier for people to pay attention to their health before they're forced to pay attention to it because something has gone wrong.