peripheral vascular disease of the lower limbs o

The effects of nifedipine on blood flow to the lower limb have been investigated in 19 patients with calf claudication, and in 8patients with critical leg ischaemia, using Doppler techniques. In claudicants, common femoral artery blood flow increased by 55 % after sublingual nifedipine, despite a fall in systolic blood pressure and no alteration in the anklelbrachial index. In patients with critical ischaemia given intravenous nifedipine, common femoral blood flow increased to reach a peak 90 minutes after the start of the infusion. The femoral artery pulsatility index, derived from the Doppler waveform, is a reliable guide to changes in blood volume flow