title: An easily applicable alternative method for warming cold limbs in nerve conduction studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Warming cold limbs by hot water immersion prior to nerve conduction studies may be cumbersome in certain patients. The aim of the present study is to test whether application of hot packs would be as efficient as hot water immersion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cold limbs of 10 healthy volunteers were warmed: in half of subjects by hot packs and, after cooling down, by hot water immersion; vice versa in the other half. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies of upper and lower extremities were performed before and after warming with two different methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are no relevant differences in temperatures or nerve conduction velocities after warming with either hot packs or water.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hot packs are as effective as hot water immersion for warming cold limbs prior to electrodiagnostic testing. Since hot packs are safer, cleaner, and easier to use, we prefer warming by hot packs instead of hot water immersion before performing nerve conduction studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology and clinical neurophysiology, Saint-Lucas Andreas hospital, PO Box 9243, 1006 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of neurology and clinical neurophysiology, Canisius Wilhelmina hospital, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Electronic address: k.kasius@slaz.nl.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kasius
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology, MC Zuiderzee, Lelystad, Netherlands.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Riphagen
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology and clinical neurophysiology, Canisius Wilhelmina hospital, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: W I M
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.affiliation: Department of neurology and clinical neurophysiology, Canisius Wilhelmina hospital, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meulstee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D006361:Heating; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conduction nerveuse; Eau chaude; Empaquetages chauds; Hot packs; Hot water; Nerve conduction studies; Réchauffement; Temperature; Température; Warming