EFFECTIVENESS OF ICE PACKS IN REDUCING SKIN TEMPERATURE UNDER CASTS

Skin temperature lowering effects were measured after application of c rushed ice packs to the surface of synthetic and plaster casts. The sk in temperature of legs in synthetic casts decreased an average of 10.4 degrees C (range, 8.3 degrees-12.6 degrees) to a minimum temperature of 19.7 degrees C (range, 16.2 degrees-21.8 degrees), and the temperat ure of legs in plaster casts decreased an average of 11 degrees C to a minimum of 18.7 degrees C (range, 13 degrees-22.8 degrees), It took a n average of 56 minutes (range, 40-80 minutes) for the legs in synthet ic casts and 63.8 minutes (range, 26-116 minutes) for the legs in plas ter casts to reach the minimum temperature. Cryotherapy is used clinic ally with the intention of lowering skin temperature and presumably de creasing the pain and swelling of a patient's injured extremity. The p resence of a synthetic or a plaster cast does not eliminate the loweri ng effects of skin temperature when crushed ice packs are applied to t he surface of the casts.