Open Access
Different Responses of Ear and Finger Pulse Oximeter Wave Form to Cold Pressor Test
Author(s) -
Aymen A. Awad,
M. Ghobashy,
Wagih Ouda,
Robert G. Stout,
David G. Silverman,
Kirk H. Shelley
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1097/00000539-200106000-00026
Subject(s) - plethysmograph , medicine , cold pressor test , pulse (music) , photoplethysmogram , anesthesia , stimulus (psychology) , blood pressure , audiology , cardiology , heart rate , psychology , filter (signal processing) , detector , computer science , electrical engineering , computer vision , engineering , psychotherapist
The cold pressor test is often used to assess vasoconstrictive responses because it simulates the vasoconstrictive challenges commonly encountered in the clinical setting. With IRB approval, 12 healthy volunteers, aged 25--50 yr, underwent baseline plethysmographic monitoring on the finger and ear. The contralateral hand was immersed in ice water for 30 s to elicit a systemic vasoconstrictive response while the recordings were continued. The changes in plethysmographic amplitude for the first 30 s of ice water immersion (period of maximum response) of the finger and ear were compared. The data indicate a significant disparity between the finger and the ear signals in response to the cold stimulus. The average finger plethysmographic amplitude measurement decreased by 48% +/- 19%. In contrast, no significant change was seen in the ear plethysmographic amplitude measurement, which decreased by 2% +/- 10%. We conclude that the ear is relatively immune to the vasoconstrictive effects. These findings suggest that the comparison of the ear and finger pulse oximeter wave forms might be used as a real-time monitor of sympathetic tone and that the ear plethysmography may be a suitable monitor of the systemic circulation.