title: Prevalence and severity of cold intolerance in patients after hand fracture.
abstract: Cold intolerance is a well-known phenomenon that develops in the first months after hand injury and generally does not decrease over time. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence and severity of cold intolerance after hand fracture in 129 patients using the Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity (CISS) questionnaire. Patients with nerve and/or vascular injuries were excluded. The response rate was 59%. The mean CISS score was 23. Pathological cold intolerance, defined as a CISS score over 30, was experienced by 38% of the patients. Cold intolerance is common after hand fractures and can be severely disabling in some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T H J
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Nijhuis
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jaquet
authors.forename: F J T
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Van Oosterom
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Selles
authors.forename: S E R
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hovius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications*; D050276:Hand Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult