Low nosetip temperatures in the old

A study was made of the significance of cold nosetips as a simple prognostic sign in the elderly sick. This sign was thought to be due to the presence of chronic brain damage. Nosetip temperatures were compared with forehead and ambient temperatures in 400 patients until recovery, death or transfer. Weekly readings were taken, and may have failed to give an accurate record in those observed for 4 weeks or less, though here 56% of the 154 fatalities had low nosetip temperatures. A longer-stay group consisted of 177 cases, of whom 155 had low nosetip temperatures at some time. 87 patients in this group died, 43 remained disabled and only 25 regained their previous state of health. It is concluded that low nosetip temperatures provide a useful indicator that adequate recovery is unlikely to occur.