Services »
Vascular Imaging » Cold Immersion Study
General Overview
Cold immersion study is an examination preferred for the detection of Raynaud’s Phenomenon/Syndrome. Raynaud’s Phenomenon is a disorder that affects the blood vessels that flow blood through the fingers and toes. It is majorly observed to affect people who are exposed to cold weather.
How It’s Done
This test takes approximately 30 minutes. To carry out the cold immersion study, the technician records the arterial waveform of the fingers/toes at baseline. Following this, your hand/feet is immersed in ice water for 20 seconds. The hand/feet is then removed and the arterial waveforms arerecorded again repeatedly till the waveform approaches baseline.
Cold immersion study is easy and requires no special preparation. However, there may be some discomfort during the test is being performed, as your hands/feet remain in ice-cold water.
Any Side Effects?
As cold immersion study is a simple test to determine whether the patient is suffering from Raynaud’s Phenomenon, it does not pose any complications. There are no side effects of the test. However, when the test is carried out; the patient may experience discomfort as the fingers or toes are immersed in ice cold water. This test should not be performed if the patient has finger infection or problems with the blood supply to the fingers.
Next Steps:
Patients with Raynaud’s Phenomenon/Syndrome should keep themselves away from cold temperatures by covering themselves with extra layers of gloves, socks and other warm clothes both indoors and outdoors. If needed your doctor will go over further management plan.
Contact Us
Heart and Vascular Clinic is well equipped with the latest technologies to treat Raynaud’s Phenomenon/Syndrome. Our professionals are expert in performing cold immersion study. Trust our expertise by contacting us at (302) 338-9444 for further discussion about our services.
