In vibration disease there is damage to the peripheral circulation. This paper describes basic experiments which will hopefully lead to a method of determining accurately the degree of injury.
The peak amplitude in the plethysmogram and the skin temperature of the finger were recorded as indices of the dynamics of the peripheral circulation.
The relationship between the skin temperature and the peak amplitude of the plethysmogram at various room temperatures (14.7-25.9°C) was studied after exposure to water (30°, 20°, 10° and 5°C).
The subjects were 39 females between 18 and 38 years of age.
1. The correlation between the skin temperature and the peak amplitude of the plethysmogram was statistically high, except after exposure to 5°C water. The two measurements appeared to reflect the same circulation dynamics.
2. The correlation between either the skin temperature or the peak amplitude of the plethysmogram and the room temperature was statistically high when there was no exposure to water and 10 minutes after exposure to 5°C water. Consequently it is obvious that circulation dynamics are influenced by room temperature.
3. Significant differences of skin temperature occurred when the room temperature was above or below 23°C. Therefore, skin temperatures must be recorded at room temperatures between 20°C and 23°C, when we want to evaluate circulation dynamics with the use of skin temperature, especially when we evaluate the rate of recovery of skin temperature after exposure to water.
4. The ratios of skin temperatures during and after water exposure to that with no exposure were not significantly different at room temperatures between 15° and 25°C. Thus, the ratios of skin temperatures during and after water exposure at these room temperatures to that with no exposure may well be a valuable index of the health of the peripheral circulation.