Prevalence of hypothermia and critical hand temperatures during military cold water immersion training
Jones DM, Weller RS, McClintock RJ, Roberts N, Zheng W, Dunn TL
International journal of circumpolar health · 9 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Defense Health Agency
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2023-07-20 · Int J Circumpolar Health · vol. 82 · issue 1 · p. 2236777
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Cited
- 12 citations · more than 84% of similar papers · 1.7× the field average
- References
- 27 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · PUBLIC-DOMAIN
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Thermal Regulation in Medicine · Occupational Health and Performance
- Keywords
- Accidental hypothermia, Hypothermia, Medicine, Core temperature, Cold weather, Physical therapy, Anesthesia, Meteorology, Physics
- MeSH
- humans, hypothermia, water, prevalence, immersion, temperature, adult, military personnel, cold temperature, young adult
6 authors
From US
- Douglas M. Jones · correspondingNaval Health Research Center
- Rebecca S. WellerNaval Health Research Center
- Rebecca J. McClintockNaval Health Research Center
- Nicholas H. RobertsUnited States Marine Corps
- Weimin ZhengNaval Health Research Center
- Timothy L. DunnNaval Health Research Center
Abstract
Cold-weather military operations can quickly undermine warfighter readiness and performance. Specifically, accidental cold-water immersion (CWI) contributes to rapid body heat loss and impaired motor function. This study evaluated the prevalence of hypothermia and critical hand temperatures during CWI. One-hundred seventeen (N = 117) military personnel (mean ± SD age: 27 ± 6 yr, height: 176 ± 8 cm, weight: 81.5 ± 11.6 kg) completed CWI and rewarming during cold-weather training, which included a 10-min outdoor CWI (1.3 ± 1.4°C) combined with cold air (-4.2 ± 8.5°C) exposure. Following CWI, students removed wet clothing, donned dry clothing, and entered sleeping systems. Core (Tc) and hand (Thand) temperatures were recorded continuously during the training exercise. Tc for 96 students (mean ± SD lowest Tc = 35.6 ± 0.9°C) revealed that 24 students (25%) experienced Tc below 35.0°C. All of 110 students (100%) experienced Thand below 15.0°C, with 71 students (65%) experiencing Thand at or below 8.0°C. Loss of hand function and hypothermia should be anticipated in warfighters who experience CWI in field settings. Given the high prevalence of low Thand, focus should be directed on quickly rewarming hands to recover function.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC0).
Community trust
Loading…
How much do you trust this study's findings?
Comments
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inSomething wrong here?
Flag this study if its information, labels or funding look wrong. An editor reviews every flag.
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inEducational information about published research. Not medical advice, and not a recommendation to start or stop anything.