Rewarming Methodologies in the Field.
Abstract
The Heatpac is currently used by the U.S. Marine Corps to warm cold-stressed infantry personnel in the field. Recently, this system has been modified so a small wetting chamber called Humipac can be attached to the Heatpac so personnel can breathe warm humidified air. The air is saturated to 95-99% humidity with a temperature range of 45.3 to 49.4 deg C. In a series of experiments using a USMC issue sleeping bag, we compared the effectiveness of the Heatpac vs. combined Heatpac/Humipac vs. rewarming by shivering. Subjects wearing only swimming trunks were placed in 12.8 deg C water for 1 hr. At the end of that period, any of the three interventions were randomly assigned. In all conditions, the subject was placed in a sleeping bag. HR, T sub re and T sub es temperatures, and metabolic rates were monitored during the cooling phase and for 120 min during the rewarming phase. Breathing the warm humidified air did not significantly alter the rate of body rewarming. In some cases, normal shivering induced as large an increase in core temperature as did the active interventions. Additional studies are underway to investigate the relative role that these various rewarming systems have on thermogenesis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 17, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA294569
Entities
People
- J. Reading
- P. Kincaid
- R. L. Hesslink
- R. S. Pozos
- S. Feith
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center