Abstract
The point test for evaluation of resistance to frostbite has been done in many fields; sports science, industrial hygiene, clinical medicine, research, etc. Shortening of the measurement time is necessary in fieldwork or mass test. While immersed the peripheral body parts in cold water, blood pressure response and change of blood circulation are important and meaningful.
In this experiments, the method of a point test was discussed in relation to blood pressure response, heat flow and shortening of the test time from the practical viewpoint for measurement of resistance to frostbite. Following results were obtained.
1) Even if immersed one finger in cold water, there was temporarily an increase in blood pressure. The indices of local cold resistance to frostbite in the group whose blood pressures increased to a higher degree with cold stress tended to be weaker than those of the other groups.
2) The change in heat flow as an index of peripheral blood circulation occurred faster and larger than that in skin temperature. It may be useful to measure heat flow for the people whose has weak local cold resistance such as raynaud phenomenon.
3) TTR and TFR in indices of a point test can be generally measured in 10 min after water immersion with the first occurrence of CIVD. Shortening of the test time was demanded in fieldwork or mass test. Correlation coefficient between MST and mean skin temperature after 15min (MST5-15) was higher (r>0.92) . The regression equation was MST=1.042M5-15+1.079. Therefore, even if the measurement time is 15 min, MST can be added for evaluation of resistance to frostbite in a point test.
