Abstract
Fifty-six children, suffering from acute bronchitis were studied. Skin temperature and rectal temperature were simultaneously recorded over a period of 90 minutes after 3-minute rub therapy on chest and back with either Vaporub® or its base Petrolatum. A statistically significant increase in skin temperature as compared to the pre-treatment was observed; with Vaporub®, however, the increase was 1.1°C on average at the highest point of a large plateau reaching from 30 to 90 minutes after the treatment. Rubbing Petrolatum alone showed 0.2°C on average on the top of the temperature plateau. Rectal temperature did not show significant changes with either therapy.
On comparing temperature data of the same type in healthy children, the time course of the temperature elevation (which also was observed in healthy children after Vaporub® treatment), was different from that of bronchitic children. In the bronchitic children the temperature rise was still 0.9°C 60 minutes after eatment. In the healthy children after 60 minutes, the temperature eievation was only 0.4°C above the pre-treatment value.
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