The survey of the measurement of reactive vasodilatation and skin impedance during cold gel pack application on forearm

Background: The application of cold is the most common treatment of traumatic soft tissue injuries
in order to decrease bleeding and swelling, but the appropriate time without existing of reactive
vasodilatation is not clear.
Methods and materials: The survey was performed to detect the reactive vasodilatation and to
measure the skin impedance after 20-minutes cold gel pack application.
Results: 70 healthy people (39 males & 31 females) with mean age of 24.81±3.41 were evaluated.
Cold gel pack was applied to anterior aspect of their forearms for 20 minutes. The current intensity of
skin was recorded by digital multi meter, before, during & after the cold application. Then skin
impedance was calculated by Ohm's rule. Statistical analyses of the data were done with paired T-test.
Significant increase was found in skin impedance before and after cold application. That this increase
was noted during the first 15 minutes after cold gel application, reactive vasodilatation during 20
minutes cold gel pack application was not observed.
Conclusions: These finding revealed that 20- minutes cold gel pack application decreased in blood
volume, therefore the clinical use of cold on this time can reduce in local circulation such as in the
management of acute-phase soft tissue trauma.