Finger Temperature and Raynaud's Phenomenon resulting from the Use of the Vibrating Tool (1)

Abstract

Since Loriga described the peripheral vascular manifestations frequently associated with operations involving the use of pneumatic tools, various investigations and studies on disabilities resulting from the use of vibrating tools have been published in foreign countries and in Japan. Main signs of the disabilities resulting from the use of vibrating tools are; (1) blanching of fingers, (2) numbness of fingers, (3) joint pains, and (4) muscle pains. Among these blanching of fingers (Raynaud's phenomenon) have, in general, been taken as the most important. The vibration probably results in Raynaud's phenomenon in the workers using vibrating tools, and it might assist the gradual progress of the phenomenon. But the disorders are not followed by gangrene and loss of fingers or of the hand as the occupational form of the disease. Many theories as to the etiology of the Raynaud's phenomenon have been presented, but none of them yet established. Furthermore, methods of diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon for practical use in industrial medicine have scarcely been reported. Many studies of finger temperature at various conditions have been reported, and the phenomenon of slow recovery of the finger temperature after immersion in the cold water has been taken as an useful means of diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon. The author examined the relationship between the finger temperature and the Raynaud's phenomenon in a metal mine where many workers were frequently using various kinds of vibrating tools. The results are as follows: 1. As to the recovery rate of the finger temperature three minutes after immersion for 30 sec. in the cold water (0°C) toward the value before immersion, no significant difference was noticed between the fingers suffering from blanching and those without it. In the subjects, who had the Raynaud's phenomenon, the recovery time of the finger temperature after exposure to cold varied to some extent, and a definite characteristic tendency was not confirmed. For this reason, the recovery time of the finger temperature might not be a proper diagnostic clue for Raynaud's phenomenon. 2. Immersion of the hand of workers suffering from Raynaud's disease into the cold water (5°C) for five minutes could not provoke Raynaud's phenomenon. However, the temperature of fingers of such workers five minutes after five-minute immersion into the cold water (5°C) was lower than that of fingers of workers having no Raynaud's phenomenon.