The irritation and pain associated with oral blood sampling necessary to monitor glycemic control can alter oral sensation, but no studies have measured the reliability of oral sensation testing when performed concurrently with blood sampling. The primary and secondary aims of this study were to verify the measurement reliability of current perception threshold (CPT) and pain threshold (PT) tests performed before and after blood sampling and to investigate the differences in CPTs/PTs obtained from the oral cavity, hand, and foot, respectively. CPT/PT measurements were obtained from the oral mucosa and the tips of fingers and toes of 18 volunteers (10 males and 8 females, average age = 26.3 years) using electrical stimulation at frequencies of 5, 250, and 2,000 Hz. Participants also provided blood samples by pricking their own index fingers with a small needle. All subjects completed the following 3 conditions at once-weekly intervals as follows: (a) sensory measurements followed by blood sampling (SB block); (b) blood sampling followed by sensory measurements (BS block); (c) sensory measurements without blood sampling (CO control block). Cronbach\'s α coefficients were over 0.78 for the SB, BS, and CO blocks, and are considered to be acceptable for assuring measurement reliability. The oral cavity had significantly lower CPT/PTs than both hands and feet, such that the threshold increased in the order oral cavity < hand < foot. CPT and PT measurements performed concurrently with blood sampling are both reliable and region specific, and for which the oral cavity is the most sensitive testing region.

The objectives of this study were to register clinicians performance and opinion of importance of clinical tests for generalized joint hypermobility (GJH), Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility type (EDS-HT) and joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS), and to reach a consensus among clinicians on criteria for diagnosing GJH, EDS-HT and JHS. A panel of clinicians answered questions about how to perform and interpret clinical tests and rated test importance on an 11-box scale. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of information from focus groups and the literature. Cronbach\'s α was used as a measure of internal consistency/consensus among the panelists. The results showed Cronbach\'s α on importance score of items for diagnosing GJH, EDS-HT and JHS was 0.61, 0.79, and 0.44, respectively. Panelist-group correlation for the three conditions varied substantially (-0.46 to 0.89, 0.03 to 0.68, and -0.07 to 0.68) indicating heterogeneity among the panelists. There was agreement on which tests to use, but performance of the tests (i.e., the specific maneuvers) varied considerably inclusive use of tests with unknown reliability. Furthermore, agreement on the diagnostic criteria varied. We conclude that the level of consensus for the importance of various items for diagnosing GJH, EDS-HT and JHS, was below the required limit (Cronbach\'s α >0.90) for clinical decision-making and diagnosing. Consensus on tests and criteria through a Delphi process could not be reached. Better descriptions of, and reliability studies on, test maneuvers and criteria sets for these conditions are needed. Subsequent intensive training and implementation of these tests and criteria, nationally as well as internationally should be established.