Cardiovascular response to acute heat stress

Abstract

Cardiac output was measured simultaneously with blood flow in hand and forearm in eight healthy subjects before and during body heating. The heating was carried out by immersing the feet and legs in water at 44 C. and wrapping the body with blankets. After 50 min of heating the oral temperature had risen to between 99.5 and 100.8 F. The cardiac output had increased by 1.9—4.5 (mean 3.3) liters/min, mainly because of an increase in heart rate. The blood flow through the fingers increased rapidly to reach maximal values soon after heating started, whereas the forearm blood flow, like the cardiac output, increased gradually throughout the heating period. Since the increase in limb blood flow is confined to the skin vessels and since there is no evidence that flow to the internal organs is increased, the total increase in skin flow amounts on the average to 1.8 liters/m2/min. Submitted on June 2, 1961