[Hand skin blood flow measurement in assessing protective efficacy of antivibration gloves].

The literature data show that a long exposure to local vibration leads to neuro-vessels, and less frequently to osteoarticular or mixed disorders within upper extremities. In five healthy males, not occupationally exposed to vibration, skin blood flow was examined during a 5-min exposure of the right hand to local vibration (filtered off white noise 2-2000 Hz, weighted vibration acceleration of 9 m/s-2), and the cold provocation test with water at 14 degrees C in two variants: with and without antivibration glove, was performed. Immediately after local vibration, evident changes in the skin blood flow on the right and left hands were registered in the experiment without antivibration glove. There were no changes in the experiment with antivibration glove The cold provocation test, in none of its variants (with and without antivibration glove) showed any changes. It seems that the skin blood flow measurements taken immediately after the hand exposure to local vibration may be a useful method for assessing protective efficiency of antivibration gloves, however further studies are required to support this observation.