Medipin  An Instrument combining design sensitivity and technique specificity
For Earlier Diagnosis of Peripheral Neuropathy In Clinical Practice.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

The Analogue Pinprick Comparison Test (APC)

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The Analogue Pinprick Comparison Test employs a simple verbal analogue scale to provide rapid relative quantification of subtle neural deficit.

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1. BREAK TAB TO EXPOSE POINT - AVOID CONTACT WITH FINGERS.

2. GRASP DEVICE BETWEEN THUMB AND INDEX FINGER LIGHTLY ENOUGH TO PERMIT SLIGHT AXIAL SLIPPAGE IF REQUIRED - UTILISE TEXTURED SURFACE TO FACILITATE CONTROL.

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3. APPLY TO SKIN AT A PERPENDICULAR TO STANDARDISE POINT PRESSURE FOR IMPROVED TEST CONSISTENCY and OPTIMISE ANNULAR CONTACT TO GENERATE A ‘CENTRE SURROUND’ FIELD OF ENHANCED ACUITY.

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ESTABLISH A CONTROL AREA IN AN UNAFFECTED REGION WITH AN ‘AVERAGE’ STIMULATION LEVEL BY MAKING SEVERAL QUICK APPLICATIONS AROUND THE SAME LOCALITY. PRESS FIRMLY BUT CAREFULLY USING A REPETITIVE, PERCUSSIVE CONTACT. AVOID HIGH AMPLITUDE or ‘STABBING’ ACTIONS - PENETRATION IS CHECKED BY THE ANNULUS BUT NEVER ASSUMED ‘IMPOSSIBLE’. INSTRUCT YOUR PATIENT THIS “NORMAL” AREA REPRESENTS A SCORE OF “5” OUT OF 10.

 

4. QUANTIFY SUBTLE DEFICIT on this VERBAL ANALOGUE SCALE by IMMEDIATELY COMPARING A SYMMETRICAL, ADJACENT or NEUROLOGICALLY COMPATIBLE REGION, ASKING YOUR PATIENT to GRADE the SENSATION THEY PERCEIVE OUT OF “10”.

 

5. TO PREVENT RE-USE DESTROY POINT BY COMPRESSION AGAINST A HARD SURFACE and/or DISPOSE OF IN A BIOHAZARD CONTAINER.

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ALWAYS OBSERVE SHARPS POLICY

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