Disclosures: Erin Reynolds: Nothing to disclose

Objective: To follow up on clinical outcomes of neurologically impaired patients who were found to have significantly low extremity skin temperatures in a previous study.

Design: Case series with no randomization.

Setting: Outpatient clinic, private homes of patients.

Participants: Subjects previously enrolled in a study.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Current extremity temperature (forehead, knee, ankle, and foot), subject comorbidities (incidence of peripheral vascular disease, venous insufficiency, diabetes mellitus), current ambulatory status (ambulatory, ambulate with aid, non-ambulatory), clinical outcomes (pain, non-healing ulcers, amputations), treatments and medications.

Results: Previous study found significant difference in lower limb temperature between non-ambulatory subjects and ambulatory and control subjects. Some patients had skin temperatures in the foot of 23 degrees Celsius. Patient follow-up is projected to show clinical outcomes consistent with morbidity associated with decreased extremity temperatures (poor wound healing, increased pain).

Conclusions: Proper management of significantly lower extremity skin temperatures in the non-ambulatory, neurologically impaired population is not known. Impaired circulation places them at risk for decreased wound healing and increased morbidity. Long term clinical outcomes are needed for these patients to develop interventions to prevent future morbidity.

Level of Evidence: Level IV

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-implications-of-low-extremity-skin-temperatures-in-non-ambulatory-neurologically-impaired-patients-an-8-year-follow-up-study/