EFFECTS OF BATHING IN CARDIOVASCULAR PATIENTS

The effect of bathing on the electrocardiographic findings and some other circulatory factors was studied in 161 occasions in 109 cases with essential hypertension, ischemic heart disease, valvular disease, cerebral vascular disease and normal health.<BR>Electrocardiograms were recorded with the radioelectrocardiograph during and after bathing in the hot fresh water at 42°C for 5 minutes (HW-group), the gradually warmed fresh water from 38°C to 42°C for 10 minutes (GW-group) and the lukewarm fresh water with a constant temperature between 39°C and 40°C for 20 minutes (LW-group) in winter (from Oct. to May) and summer (from July to Sept.) .<BR>The advantage of recording the electrocardiogram by radioelectrocardiography was shown by this study.<BR>In HW-group, the initial rise of the systolic blood pressure was observed during bathing in the majority of the hypertensive group and the group with cerebral vascular disease.<BR>In GW-group and especially in LW-group, the systolic blood pressure was tended to fall during bathing except for valvular group.<BR>The heart rate increased in the majority of the patients, almost similar to the normal subjects. But the increase of heart rate was minimal and transient in LW-group.<BR>The sinustachycaridia was found more frequently during bathing in HW-group of valvular disease and hypertension.<BR>The appearance of arrhythmias was most frequent in the HW-group of cerebral vascular disease.<BR>ST·T changes were found more frequently in the groups of ischemic heart disease and hypertension.<BR>Much less frequent tachycardias, arrhythmias and ST·T changes were found during bathing in GW-group and LW-group.<BR>Electrocardiographic findings after bathing showed the similar tendency to the findings during bathing. In GW-group and especially in LW-group, ST·T changes were lessf requently seen than in HW-group.<BR>Many electrocardiographic changes were shown from during to immediately after bathing (Within 1 minute 30 seconds after bathing) . Consequently, in these cases we could not found by usual method in which electrocardiograms were taken before and after bathing. These results indicate that the radioelectrography may be very useful.<BR>The increase in the Starr's Katz's and Kimura's indices was slighter in GW-group and LW-group than in HW-group.<BR>The suitability for bating was checked by the criteria which was scored the severity of the change, that is, slightly change is 1 point and markedly change is 3 points in the 5 itemus, ST, T and arrhythmias in ECG, heart rate and blood pressure.<BR>In summer, the HW-bathing was done on the patients with essential hypertension and ischemic heart disease. The change of the systolic blood pressure, heart rate and, starr's and Katz's indices in summer was almost similar to in winter on these patients. Of the electrocardiographic findings, arrhythmias and ST·T changes were observed less frequently in summer than in winter.<BR>It is concluded that the unfavorable effect of bathing is least in LW-group on the patients with cardiovascular disease.