Thermal Comfort Clinical Trial
Official title:
The Effect of Active Warming in Prehospital Trauma Care During Road and Air Ambulance Transportation - a Clinical Randomized Trial
Prevention and treatment of hypothermia by active warming in prehospital trauma care is
recommended but scientifical evidence of its effectiveness in a clinical setting is scarce.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of additional active warming during
road or air ambulance transportation of trauma patients.
Patients were assigned to either passive warming with blankets or passive warming with
blankets with the addition of an active warming intervention using a large chemical heat pad
applied to the upper torso. Ear canal temperature, subjective sensation of cold discomfort
and vital signs were monitored.
Mean core temperatures increased from 35.1°C (95% CI; 34.7-35.5 °C) to 36.0°C (95% CI;
35.7-36.3 °C) (p<0.05) in patients assigned to passive warming only (n=22) and from 35.6°C
(95% CI; 35.2-36.0 °C) to 36.4°C (95% CI; 36.1-36.7°C) (p<0.05) in patients assigned to
additional active warming (n=26) with no significant differences between the groups. Cold
discomfort decreased in 2/3 of patients assigned to passive warming only and in all patients
assigned to additional active warming, the difference in cold discomfort change being
statistically significant (p<0.05). Patients assigned to additional active warming also
presented a statistically significant decrease in heart rate and respiratory frequency
(p<0.05).
In mildly hypothermic trauma patients, with preserved shivering capacity, adequate passive
warming is an effective treatment to establish a slow rewarming rate and to reduce cold
discomfort during prehospital transportation. However, the addition of active warming using
a chemical heat pad applied to the torso will significantly improve thermal comfort even
further and reduce the cold induced stress response.
n/a
Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention
| Status | Clinical Trial | Phase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completed |
NCT04985617 -
The Effects of Active Warming on Temperature on Core Body and Thermal Comfort
|
N/A |