• Bernadette M Schey, David Y Williams, and Tracey Bucknall.
• Intensive Care Unit, St. Vincent's & Mercy Private Hospital, 59-61 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia. bernadette.schey@bigpond.com.au
• Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2009 Feb 1; 25 (1): 31-7.

ObjectiveFoot temperature has long been advocated as a reliable noninvasive measure of cardiac output despite equivocal evidence. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the relationship between noninvasively measured skin temperature and the more invasive core-peripheral temperature gradients (CPTGs), against cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, serum lactate, and base deficit.Research MethodologyThe study was of a prospective, observational and correlational design. Seventy-six measurements were recorded on 10 adults postcardiac surgery. Haemodynamic assessments were made via bolus thermodilution. Skin temperature was measured objectively via adhesive probes, and subjectively using a three-point scale.SettingThe study was conducted within a tertiary level intensive care unit.ResultsCardiac output was a significant predictor for objectively measured skin temperature and CPTG (p=.001 and p=.004, respectively). Subjective assessment of skin temperature was significantly related to cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, and serum lactate (p<.001, respectively).ConclusionsThese results support the utilisation of skin temperature as a noninvasive marker of cardiac output and perfusion. The use of CPTG was shown to be unnecessary, given the parallels in results with the less invasive skin temperature parameters. A larger study is however required to validate these findings.

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