Original article

Scand J Work Environ Health 1986;12(4):245-248    pdf

https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.2143 | Issue date: Aug 1986

Usefulness of fingertip skin temperature for examining peripheral circulatory disturbances of vibrating tool operators.

by Kurumatani N, Iki M, Hirata K, Moriyama T, Satoh M, Arai T

The data on skin temperature obtained in a cold provocation test (immersing one hand in water at 10 degrees C for 10 min) were analyzed to confirm their usefulness for examining the peripheral circulatory functions of vibrating tool operators. Under room temperatures from 20 to 23 degrees C in winter, the skin temperatures after the end of provocation of the VWF (vibration-induced white finger) group were generally significantly lower than those of the age-matched non-VWF and reference groups, and the non-VWF operators with over 5,000 h of chain-saw experience showed significantly lower skin temperatures 5 and 10 min after provocation than the age-matched referents. In this study skin temperature was used as a screening test for VWF. The highest sensitivity (91.1%) was obtained at 19.0 degrees C at the fifth minute after the end of the provocation, and the highest specificity (93.3%) at 15.5 degrees C at the third minute after provocation, both the sensitivity and specificity being over 70% and the correct diagnosis rate being over 80% among the screening levels.