title: Effect of room temperature on tests for diagnosing vibration-induced white finger: finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the effects of room temperature on two standard tests used to assist the diagnosis of vibration-induced white finger (VWF): finger rewarming times and finger systolic blood pressures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve healthy males and twelve healthy females participated in four sessions to obtain either finger skin temperatures (FSTs) during cooling and rewarming of the hand or finger systolic blood pressures (FSBPs) after local cooling of the fingers to 15 and 10 °C. The measures were obtained with the room temperature at either 20 or 28 °C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were lower baseline finger skin temperatures, longer finger rewarming times, and lower finger systolic blood pressures with the room temperature at 20 than 28 °C. However, percentage reductions in FSBP at 15 and 10 °C relative to 30 °C (i.e. %FSBP) did not differ between the two room temperatures. Females had lower baseline FSTs, longer rewarming times, and lower FSBPs than males, but %FSBPs were similar in males and females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Finger rewarming times after cold provocation are heavily influenced by room temperature and gender. For evaluating peripheral circulatory function using finger rewarming times, the room temperature must be strictly controlled, and a different diagnostic criterion is required for females. The calculation of percentage changes in finger systolic blood pressure at 15 and 10 °C relative to 30 °C reduces effects of both room temperature and gender, and the test may be used in conditions where the ±1 °C tolerance on room temperature required by the current standard cannot be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. M.J.Griffin@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Griffin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology*; D053421:Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D010991:Plethysmography; D017694:Rewarming; D012737:Sex Factors; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cold provocation test; Finger skin temperature; Finger systolic blood pressure; Hand-arm vibration syndrome; Hand-transmitted vibration; Vibration-induced white finger