Digit Skin Temperature Test for Peripheral Circulation Evaluation

A test procedure for evaluating vasospasm in hand digits using cold water immersion at 15°C for a period of 10 minutes is described, and the result of initial and repeat tests on 25 subjects who volunteered for a control group study are reported. Digit skin temperatures were continuously recorded and the recovery temperatures were noted while the hands were immersed and for a further 10 minutes afterwards in air. Five from their history and test results were determined to have Raynaud's disease or Constitutional White Finger, and a further 5 subjects with no history of cold hands or Raynaud's phenomenon had non-repeatable test results indicative of an asymptomatic sub-clinical state. A statistical analysis of the results from the 15 normal control subjects provides reference data (means and standard deviations) for the maximum skin temperature at 10 minutes immersion, and the skin recovery temperatures post-cold stress at 1 minute intervals in air. This objective test is frequently used for evaluating cold induced vasospasm in hand digits, and the normative data provided will enable abnormal subjects to be identified. Additional reference data is provided for use with vibration exposed workers to permit the severity of the vasospasm to be graded in accordance with the Stockholm vascular scale for Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).