title: Temperature changes in rheumatoid hand treated with nitrogen vapors and cold air.
abstract: The aim of the study was the thermovisual comparison of mean temperature of hand surface changes after local cryotherapy with vapors of nitrogen (-160°C) and cold air (-30°C). Forty-seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis (39 women and 8 men; average age 56.2 ± 10.5 years) were included in the study. They had the application of topic cryotherapy using nitrogen vapors or cold air on one hand. Main outcome measure was surface temperature of dorsal sides of the cooled and contralateral hands. Thermal images of both hands were taken before and up to 3 h after the treatment. One minute after application, nitrogen vapors induced decrease in surface skin temperature of the cooled hand from 28.9 ± 1.8°C to 17.9 ± 2.2°C, P < 0.05, whereas cold air from 29.4 ± 2.4°C to 23.1 ± 2.2°C, P < 0.05. However, significantly lower temperature was obtained with vapors of nitrogen (P < 0.05). Just after the treatment, a rapid rewarming occurred and hands reached baseline temperature in 15 min in both applications and they did not differ till the end of the procedure. Both nitrogen vapors and cold air induce similar temperature changes in hands with the exclusion of temperature obtained 1 min after the treatment. Changes in non-cooled hands indicate contralateral reaction.
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, University School of Physical Education in Poznan, Królowej Jadwigi Str. 27/39, 61871 Poznan, Poland. simskor@interia.pl
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Korman
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Straburzyńska-Lupa
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Romanowski
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Trafarski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000388:Air; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017679:Cryotherapy; D005260:Female; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013817:Thermography; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen