SUDOSCAN et EZSCAN : deux applications pour les diabétiques d'une même technique innovante

SUDOSCAN and EZSCAN use the same technique for measuring electrochemical sweat conductance (ESC). This method is simple, non-invasive, absolutely painless and is performed in less than 3 minutes. Therefore, it is very well accepted by patients and can be easily repeated. ESC abnormalities indicate sympathetic nerve impairment of the sweat glands, which occurs early in the course of diabetes, and demonstrates autonomic nervous system impairment of other organs, particularly the heart. The raw results obtained with SUDOSCAN, ESC in hands and feet are expressed in microSiemens (μS). The normal value is greater than 60 μS. A conductance value between 40 and 60 μS indicates moderate autonomic nervous system involvement, and a result below 40 μS indicates a severe form. This technique is therefore used to accurately assess the degree of autonomic sweat impairment, which provides a good indication of other autonomic dysfunction. With the EZSCAN application, some patient parameters such as sex, age, BMI and systolic blood pressure should be provided and entered in an algorithm. The scores are expressed in percentage from 0% to 100%. This application is used to screen diabetic subjects and those with risk factors of diabetes. Thus, SUDOSCAN and EZSCAN offer new possibilities for exploring autonomic neuropathy in diabetics and for screening diabetes in developing countries where medical resources are limited.