The effect of ice application versus controlled cold therapy on skin temperature when used with postoperative bulky hand and wrist dressings: a preliminary study.

Skin temperature of the hands of 12 volunteers was monitored. The hands were placed in bulky dressings and treated with a standard ice bag (group I) or a new cooling blanket (group II). The contralateral hands served as controls. The mean difference in skin temperatures between group I and controls was 1.5 degrees F, while the difference between group II and controls was 13 degrees F. Temperatures of the controls did not decrease with time. Newer cooling devices appear to be more efficacious than standard ice bags in accurately and significantly lowering skin temperature when used with traditional bulky hand dressings.