Observations on the relationship between digital heat loss and systemic hemodynamics in patients with heart disease

Abstract

A concomitant study of finger heat discharge and systemic hemodynamics was undertaken in a series of 19 patients (mean age 54 years) suffering from various forms of heart disease. Finger heat discharge, as measured by calorimetry, was found to correlate significantly with mean circulation time (−0.760), cardiac index (+0.649), systemic vascular resistance (−0.615), stroke work index (+0.649), mean pulmonary artery pressure (−0.596), mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (−0.554), stroke index (+0.541), appearance time (−0.502) and mean right atrial pressure (−0.453). There was no significant correlation between finger heat discharge and mean arterial blood pressure, LV dp dt max , and heart rate. An effect of heart failure on finger heat discharge was found. When evidence of forward failure and also possibly backward failure was found, mean finger heat discharge was significantly diminished. When both forward and backward failure were present together, mean finger heat discharge fell still further.