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Prevalence of hypothermia and critical hand temperatures during military cold water immersion training.
- Source :
- International Journal of Circumpolar Health; Dec2023, Vol. 82 Issue 1, p1-8, 8p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
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 (T<subscript>c</subscript>) and hand (T<subscript>hand</subscript>) temperatures were recorded continuously during the training exercise. T<subscript>c</subscript> for 96 students (mean ± SD lowest T<subscript>c</subscript> = 35.6 ± 0.9°C) revealed that 24 students (25%) experienced T<subscript>c</subscript> below 35.0°C. All of 110 students (100%) experienced T<subscript>hand</subscript> below 15.0°C, with 71 students (65%) experiencing T<subscript>hand</subscript> 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 T<subscript>hand</subscript>, focus should be directed on quickly rewarming hands to recover function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 12399736
- Volume :
- 82
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- International Journal of Circumpolar Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 174338494
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2023.2236777