Background:
Since changes in the tone and size of the lumen of
peripheral blood vessels with massive blood loss are part of the mechanism of
adaptation to hypoxia, which automatically changes the flow of warm blood to the
fingertips, it was assumed that infrared thermography of the fingertips can
reveal the dynamics of heat release in them, reflecting the reactivity of
peripheral blood vessels and adaptation to hypoxia. It was assumed that the cuff
occlusion test (COT) would assess the available reserves of
adaptation to hypoxia and improve the accuracy of resistance to hypoxia and the
prognosis of survival in massive blood loss.
Methods:
The temperature
change in the fingertips before and after the application of COT in the
corresponding hand was studied in healthy adult volunteers, donors after donating
400 mL of blood and in victims with blood loss of less than or more than 35%.
Results:
During COT, the temperature in the fingers of the ischemic hand
decreased in all the subjects. After COT the temperature in the fingers rose
above the baseline level in healthy volunteers and in donors who donated 400 mL
of blood, but did not increase in most patients with massive blood loss, of which
some patients died despite the treatment.
Conclusions:
We report the
dynamics of local temperature in the finger pads after the COT in healthy adult
volunteers, in donors after they donated 400 mL of venous blood each, and in
victims with massive blood loss less than or greater than 35%. It is shown that
the detection of local hyperthermia in the finger pads after occlusion is a sign
of good adaptation to hypoxia and the probability of survivability of the victim
with massive blood loss.