Sometimes people say that they have pinpoint hemorrhages in the skin, but they cannot show anything. Then we do a cuff test.
It is necessary to put the cuff of a conventional tonometer on the shoulder, measure the blood pressure, and then pump the cuff to a pressure that is higher than diastolic, but lower than systolic. That is, the veins will be so strongly pinched, but the blood flow through the arteries will remain.
It is necessary to look at the arrow of the tonometer and, slightly pumping the tonometer with a pear, hold the arrow somewhere at the level of 90 millimeters of mercury for 5 minutes.
After a couple of minutes, the hand will turn blue, and it will burst. It will become unpleasant and scary. But nothing bad happens from this.
After 5 minutes, remove the cuff of the tonometer and wait another 5 minutes. During this time, the hand will become its normal color, and the unpleasant sensations will pass.
On the forearm below the elbow, pinpoint red hemorrhages will appear on the skin. They need to be counted in a circle with a diameter of 5 centimeters.
I usually have a Vitrum cap on my table. It is just 5 centimeters in diameter. I just put the cap on the forearm skin and press it down. A round trace remains from the cap.
Within this circle, point hemorrhages must be counted. They should normally be less than ten. If there are 20 or more of them, then either something is wrong with the capillaries, or there are few platelets.
Most often I see this in people who overeat non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The sample was designed to diagnose Dengue fever, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. There, the vessels become fragile. The World Health Organization considers the sample to be standard.
We often use a circle and wait 5 minutes after removing the cuff, and the World Health Organization considers the standard not a circle, but a square measuring 2.5 by 2.5 centimeters. And they suggest to wait 2 minutes after removing the cuff.
Didn't you do that?
