Editing Allen's test (section)

{{Short description|Medical sign used in physical examination of arterial blood flow to the hands}}
{{Infobox diagnostic
| name            = Allen's test
| image           = Gray1237.svg
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| caption         = Arteries of the hand
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| purpose         =examination of arterial blood flow to the hands
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In [[medicine]], '''Allen's test''' or the '''Allen test''' is a [[medical sign]] used in [[physical examination]] of [[arterial blood]] flow to the hands. It was named for [[Edgar Van Nuys Allen]], who described the original version of the test in 1942.<ref name="allenoriginal">{{cite journal |vauthors=Allen EV |title=Thromboangiitis obliterans: methods of diagnosis of chronic arterial lesions distal to the wrist with illustrative cases |journal=Am J Med Sci |volume=178 |issue=3 |pages=165–189 |date=1929 |doi=10.1097/00000441-192908000-00009|pmid=19312256 |pmc=1933752 }}</ref>

An altered test, first suggested by [[Irving S Wright]] in 1952, has almost universally replaced the original method in contemporary medical practice. The alternative method is often referred to as the '''modified Allen's test''' or '''modified Allen test'''.<ref name=":0" />