Hot Box

[Guest guest]

Beth,

The Hot Box is like the name. It is used to see the progression of the

autonomic part of MSA and autonomic failure in regards to sweating. There

is a little plastic cell with a bed in it. The pt is naked and covered

with a dye (by powder puff) which is yellow until it touches sweat (salt,

I suppose) at which point it turns purple. The temperature in the box is

increased to about 101 or something, and, if the pt is still alive and

kicking, he's removed and photographed in color. Then a computer can

calculate the surface are that is not purple. This indicates the % of

sweat glands affected by the disease.

It sounds medieval, but it gives them a number pertaining to ANS

dysfunction.

Chuck hates it. So far it is his feet and lower legs which don't sweat

and gets a little bit further each year.

Barbara (Illinois)

[Guest guest]

Beth,

The Hot Box is like the name. It is used to see the progression of the

autonomic part of MSA and autonomic failure in regards to sweating. There

is a little plastic cell with a bed in it. The pt is naked and covered

with a dye (by powder puff) which is yellow until it touches sweat (salt,

I suppose) at which point it turns purple. The temperature in the box is

increased to about 101 or something, and, if the pt is still alive and

kicking, he's removed and photographed in color. Then a computer can

calculate the surface are that is not purple. This indicates the % of

sweat glands affected by the disease.

It sounds medieval, but it gives them a number pertaining to ANS

dysfunction.

Chuck hates it. So far it is his feet and lower legs which don't sweat

and gets a little bit further each year.

Barbara (Illinois)