TY - JOUR T1 - Peripheral vasoconstriction after open-heart surgery JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - 338 LP - 342 DO - 10.1136/thx.29.3.338 VL - 29 IS - 3 AU - H. R. Matthews AU - J. B. Meade AU - C. C. Evans Y1 - 1974/05/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/29/3/338.abstract N2 - Matthews, H. R., Meade, J. B. and Evans, C. C. (1974).Thorax, 29, 338-342. Peripheral vasoconstriction after open-heart surgery. Great toe temperatures have been recorded serially after open-heart surgery on 148 patients in order to study the change from a peripherally vasoconstricted to a peripherally vasodilated state. The results in 81 `normals' show a remarkably consistent warm-up pattern which is independent of the duration or nature of operation and of many other potential variables. The reproducibility of this event has enabled us to construct a nomogram which predicts the limits of time within which a patient should warm up if he is recovering normally from operation. In our unit patients should reach a toe temperature of 34°C within 6·5 hours of return to the intensive care unit if they are breathing spontaneously and within 8 hours if they are on intermittent positive-pressure ventilation, time limits at lower temperatures also being defined by the nomogram. It is anticipated that the recognition of the normal postoperative warm-up pattern will facilitate the early detection and effective treatment of circulatory insufficiency after open-heart surgery. ER -