Superficial thermal gradients during mild body cooling and its relationship to forearm blood flow.

ABSTRACT

Forearm and fingertip temperature gradients were related to simultaneously measured forearm blood flow in eleven adult subjects at rest and during a mild cold stimulus. The change in temperature gradients were converted into a percentage change of the potential capacity for heat exchange and this was found to correlate well (r = 0.73 P < 0.001) with the absolute reduction in forearm blood flow.