European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical critical ill patients are studied with the various perspectives such as diseases,
management of such patients and palmistry etc. It is observed from the existing literature that role of
palmistry in surgery is in initial stage and very few studies are available in medical research related to
it. This observation leads the way to conduct a study on palmistry. The present study on life line- a
part of palmistry is designed to evaluate length of life line and interruptions on life line to find relation
with actual survival of surgical critical ill patients.
Material and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Dr.
S. N. Medical College, Jodhpur and associated hospitals along with 200 patients. Any break in the life
line was noted down with the photographs of both hands. The age at death was taken from the hospital
notes. Results were calculated after completion of the study. The length of the lifeline which was
based on the technique used by Newrick and colleagues (1990) was measured of both hands with prestretched
piece of string and this measurement was converted into millimeter using a ruler. During the
measurement, the hand was opened in a standard posture and photograph of both hands were taken
with green background.
Results: This study found statistically insignificant relation between predictive age according to
Newrick method and outcome of treatment. Results were also statistically insignificant in relation to
predictive age according to Newrick method and interruptions.
Conclusion: This study shows that there is no correlation of life line with mortality and morbidity in
surgically critical ill patients. Further studies are required as mortality and morbidity are governed by
many factors.