Effect of room temperature on tests for diagnosing vibration-induced white finger: finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigates the effects of room temperature on two standard tests used to assist the diagnosis of vibration-induced white finger (VWF): finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures.MethodsTwelve healthy males and twelve healthy females participated in four sessions to obtain either finger skin temperatures (FSTs) during cooling and rewarming of the hand or finger systolic blood pressures (FSBPs) after local cooling of the fingers to 15 and 10 °C. The measures were obtained with the room temperature at either 20 or 28 °C.ResultsThere were lower baseline finger skin temperatures, longer finger rewarming times, and lower finger systolic blood pressures with the room temperature at 20 than 28 °C. However, percentage reductions in FSBP at 15 and 10 °C relative to 30 °C (i.e. %FSBP) did not differ between the two room temperatures. Females had lower baseline FSTs, longer rewarming times, and lower FSBPs than males, but %FSBPs were similar in males and females.ConclusionsFinger rewarming times after cold provocation are heavily influenced by room temperature and gender. For evaluating peripheral circulatory function using finger rewarming times, the room temperature must be strictly controlled, and a different diagnostic criterion is required for females. The calculation of percentage changes in finger systolic blood pressure at 15 and 10 °C relative to 30 °C reduces effects of both room temperature and gender, and the test may be used in conditions where the ±1 °C tolerance on room temperature required by the current standard cannot be achieved.

Characteristic Features of Infrared Thermographic Imaging in Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon

“…In addition, the rewarming period took place in an environmental chamber with regulated air temperature, air velocity, and humidity. Such conditions may very well be required [ 2 , 29 ] to enable such a distinct discrimination between patients and controls using infrared thermographic imaging. However, an environmental chamber is not routinely available in diagnostic settings.…”

Capillaroscopic differences between primary Raynaud phenomenon and healthy controls indicate potential microangiopathic involvement in benign vasospasms

“…3 However, in the interpretation of thermoregulatory performance studies (with and without the combination of cold provocations), it has to be considered that the diagnostic validity is highly dependent on the possibility of controlling thermal conditions during the examination. 28,29 In our patients with PRP, the thermoregulatory capacity of both hands, expressed as percentage rewarming after cooling, was positively correlated to mean capillary density and (albeit weakly) negatively correlated to MS, whereas there were no such relations in healthy controls. These findings serve as a further indication that structural mechanisms might be involved in conditions of impaired thermoregulation, at least on the basis of capillary vasospasms.…”

Preliminary study of finger temperature recovery in patients with diabetes mellitus following cold stimulation

“…Follow‐up studies may be needed to confirm the physiological mechanism behind this. Changes in the finger skin temperature primarily depend on neurovascular processes that control the return to normal steady‐state conditions 20 . Therefore, the finger cooling test can reflect the function of neurovascular regulation and evaluate DPN with the temperature recovery curve being used as an important reference index.…”

“…The local cold stimulation test has often been used to evaluate cold tolerance by observing the cold‐induced vasodilation after cooling 11,19 or to determine changes in microcirculatory function by assessing skin rewarming following cold stimulation 20 . Furthermore, it was used to diagnose Raynaud's response 21 .…”