Thermal imaging improves the accuracy hemorrhagic shock diagnostics: The concept and practical recommendations

By using thermal imaging camera we found out that acute blood loss, as well as the voluntary apnea and cuff occlusion test, result in local hypothermia in the exposed fingers’ pads. The increase in the volume of lost blood, as well as an increase in the duration of apnea and hand vessels occlusion, increases hypothermia and local hypothermia area in fingers, which is consistently expanding first to the entire distal phalanx, and then to the middle phalanx of each finger. Growing local hypothermia and expansion of its area in fingers are suggested to use as a diagnostic symptom for increased hypoxia, all other conditions being equal. Therefore, diverse changes in local temperature in exposed fingers after the use of shortened cuff occlusion test (i.e. decrease in the local temperature at the beginning and its increase later) are suggested to be considered as a diagnostic symptom of availability of reserves for adaptation to hypoxia. This diverse change in local temperature in finger pads in a patient after acute massive blood loss allows us to conclude that he has sufficient reserves for adaptation to acute hypoxia and predict high probability of his survival.