1.Effect of Warm Bathing with Artificially produced CO2Bubble on Cerebral Blood Flow in the Early Stage of the Patient Cerebrovascular Disease.
Masahiko UZURA ; Yoshio TAGUCHI ; Hatsumi SHIMAZAKI ; Shinobu NAKAMURA ; Tamiko MIYASHITA ; Mitsuhiro SHIMOKAWA
The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine 2000;63(4):193-197
It has often been pointed out that introduction of early rehabilitation programs may convey a considerable risk of cerebral hypoperfusion, presumably due to dysautoregulation. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured in six patients with cerebrovascular disease using 99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-HM-PAO-SPECT) to investigate whether warm bathing with CO2 bubble stimulation (CO2 bathing) can be applied to early rehabilitation programs. The subjects comprised two patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, two with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and two with cerebral infarction. CO2 bubble stimulation was produced by dissolving 100g of commercially available CO2 bubble forming tablets in 300L of warm water (41°C) and a course consisting of 10 minutes of CO2 bathing was applied for seven days. Vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperatures at the axilla and the external auditory canal adjacent to the ear drum were checked during each bathing. CBF measurements and routine laboratory examinations were made before and after the seven-day course of CO2 bathing. Student-t test was used for statistical analysis.
No definite changes were shown in vital signs before and after CO2 bathing. A significant decrease in WBC counts was observed after CO2 bathing, but there were no changes in values of C-reactive protein. Although no significant changes in hemisphere CBF were identified, actual values of regional CBF in the unaffected hemisphere tended to increase in two patients.
These results suggest that CO2 bathing produces no adverse effects on cerebral perfusion and can be applied safely to early rehabilitation programs.