Diagnostic value of finger systolic blood pressure in the assessment of vasospastic reactions in the finger skin of vibration-exposed subjects after finger and body cooling.

To assess the severity of vibration-induced white finger (VWF), finger systolic blood pressure (FSBP) after finger cooling and after combined finger and body cooling was measured by strain-guage plethysmography for 100 vibration-exposed men and 22 healthy men. The exposed men were classified as being without VWF (EW), with mild VWF (EM), and with severe VWF (ES) according to records of blanching attacks. FSBP was significantly reduced only in the ES group after finger cooling and in the ES and EM groups after both body and finger cooling. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for VWF was 81.7 and 90.3%, respectively. Skin temperature measurements before and after immersion in cold water (5 degrees C, for 10 min) could not be used for the estimation of VWF severity.