Normative surface skin temperature changes due to blood redistribution: A prospective study

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Surface skin thermography is increasingly utilized due to advancements in infrared devices and thermal body mapping.
• Existing normative thermography data is incomplete, hindering accurate interpretation.
• Establishing reference ranges for skin temperature variations is vital for clinical and screening applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a normative range of skin temperatures reflecting physiological blood redistribution.
• To provide a reference for laboratory infrared thermography (IT), thermal body mapping, and mass fever screenings.
• To quantify temperature changes associated with posture variations in healthy volunteers.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 500 healthy volunteers.
• Volunteers adopted various positions (lying, sitting, standing) with extremities elevated and lowered.
• Acquired 6000 hand and 400 foot temperature readings using infrared thermography.

Main Results:

• Normal middle finger temperature: 29.1 ± 0.6°C; normal toe temperature: 27.8 ± 0.7°C.
• Physiological temperature changes due to posture ranged from 4-6°C (fingers: 27-31°C; toes: 26-32°C).
• Observed temperature variations reflect individual vasomotor activity and blood redistribution.

Conclusions:

• A defined physiological range of surface skin temperatures exists due to blood redistribution.
• This range, influenced by posture and individual variability, must be considered in infrared thermography and thermal investigations.
• Incomplete normative data necessitates the inclusion of these physiological variations in diagnostic interpretations.