Word parts
What it means
A word from the Greek for "varied heat". In vascular assessment it means a limb that has become cool, taking on room temperature because blood is not reaching it; it is one of the "6 Ps" of limb ischemia (pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia, paralysis, poikilothermia). Some spinal cord injuries cause it in the whole body.
For the nurse
Compare the temperature of both limbs with the back of your hand and report a limb that is cold compared with the other.
At a glance
| Also written | poikilothermic, poikilothermy |
|---|
Related terms
perfusion
The flow of blood through the body's tissues, bringing them oxygen and nutrients.
ischemia
Too little blood flow to a part of the body, so the tissue does not get enough oxygen.
neurovascular check
An assessment of blood flow, feeling and movement in a limb below an injury, cast, splint or surgery.
pulselessness
The absence of a pulse that can be felt.