Effects of Burn Injuries on Thermoregulatory and Cardiovascular Responses in Soldiers: Implications for the Standards of Medical Fitness

Abstract

This project tested the hypothesis that burn survivors could exercise for 30 min without excessive elevations in core body temperature, regardless of the total body surface area (TBSA) burned or environmental temperature. Ten subjects cycled for 60 min at 1) a moderate intensity (978 watts) in a thermoneutral environment (24 deg C, MOD_NEU), 2) a moderate intensity (10017 watts) in a hot environment (39 deg C, MOD_HOT), and 3) a low intensity (6510 watts) in a hot environment (39 deg C, LOW_HOT). Burn injuries were simulated by covering 0%, 20%, 40%, or 60% of the individuals TBSA with an absorbent material that prevented sweat evaporation. Changes in gastrointestinal temperature (Tcore) were analyzed at 15-min increments throughout exercise. For the MOD_NEU trial, there were no differences in Tcore between the TBSA coverage bouts at any time point during exercise. For the MOD_HOT trial, there were no differences in Tcore at 15 and 30 min of exercise regardless of the TBSA coverage, while Tcore was appreciably elevated (P<0.05) at 45 and 60 min of exercise for 20% TBSA bouts. For the MILD_HOT trial, there were no differences in Tcore at any time point between TBSA bouts, with the sole exception of 60% simulated burn having a slightly greater Tcore (0.30.34 deg C; P<0.05) at 60 min of exercise relative to the 0% TBSA bout. These data indicate that individuals with up to 60% of their TBSA burned could exercise at a moderate intensity for 30 min, even in hot environmental conditions, without excessive elevations in body core temperature. Thus, burn survivors can benefit from exercise, without the risk of excessive hyperthermia, for up to 30 min in the heat or at least 60 min in an air-conditioned space.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1117630

Entities

People

  • Craig G Crandall

Organizations

  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Body Armor
  • Body Temperature
  • Body Temperature Regulation
  • Burns
  • Covid-19
  • Data Analysis
  • Department Of Defense
  • Environment
  • Heat Energy
  • Hyperthermia
  • Intensity
  • Materials
  • Military Operations
  • Patent Applications
  • Professional Development
  • Standards
  • United States

Readers

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Trauma Surgery or Emergency Medicine.

Technology Areas

  • Space