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

Ying Ye,Michael J Griffin

doi:10.1007/s00420-017-1214-2

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.

Highlights

Workers who are regularly exposed to hand-transmitted vibration from powered hand tools are at risk of developing disorders in the fingers, hands or arms, collectively known as the hand-arm vibration syndrome (Griffin 1997; Griffin and Bovenzi 2002)
The Wilcoxon test was used to investigate differences between the measures of (1) finger skin temperatures (FSTs) before immersion, at the last minute of the immersion period, the time to rewarm by 4 °C, and the time for FST to return within 2 °C of the baseline temperature with each of the two room temperatures (i.e. 20 or 28 °C); (2) finger systolic blood pressures (FSBPs) and %FSBP with the two room temperatures and the two water temperatures (i.e. 15 and 10 °C)
The results suggest that healthy subjects with a higher baseline finger skin temperature tend to have quicker rewarming times and higher absolute FSBPs after cold provocation, but that these associations are dependent on the room temperature

Summary

Introduction

Workers who are regularly exposed to hand-transmitted vibration from powered hand tools are at risk of developing disorders in the fingers, hands or arms, collectively known as the hand-arm vibration syndrome (Griffin 1997; Griffin and Bovenzi 2002). The diagnosis of vibration-induced white finger is currently heavily reliant on the reporting of relevant symptoms, such as cold-induced finger blanching, and an appropriate history of exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. Cold provocation of the fingers and hands is commonly used in clinical and epidemiological studies to seek confirmation of the existence of an abnormal response to cold in the digital vessels of workers reporting relevant symptoms. Two vascular tests involving exposure to cold have been standardised: the measurement of finger rewarming times after cold provocation (ISO 14835-1:2016) and the

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion