Mountain accident casualties are often exposed to cold and windy weather. This may induce post-traumatic hypothermia which increases mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of warming systems to compensate for the victim’s estimated heat loss in a simulated mountain rescue operation. We used thermal manikins and developed a thermodynamic model of a virtual patient. Manikins were placed on a mountain rescue stretcher and exposed to wind chill indices of 0 °C and − 20 °C in a climatic chamber. We calculated the heat balance for two simulated clinical scenarios with both a shivering and non-shivering victim and measured the heat gain from gel, electrical, and chemical warming systems for 3.5 h. The heat balance in the simulated shivering patient was positive. In the non-shivering patient, we found a negative heat balance for both simulated weather conditions (− 429.53 kJ at 0 °C and − 1469.78 kJ at − 20 °C). Each warming system delivered about 300 kJ. The efficacy of the gel and electrical systems was higher within the first hour than later (p < 0.001). We conclude that none of the tested warming systems is able to compensate for heat loss in a simulated model of a non-shivering patient whose physiological heat production is impaired during a prolonged mountain evacuation. Additional thermal insulation seems to be required in these settings.

中文翻译：

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加温系统在山地救援中的功效：一项实验性人体模型研究

山地事故伤亡人员经常暴露在寒冷多风的天气中。这可能会导致创伤后体温过低，从而增加死亡率。本研究的目的是评估加温系统在模拟山地救援行动中补偿受害者估计热量损失的能力。我们使用了热人体模型并开发了一个虚拟患者的热力学模型。人体模型被放置在山地救援担架上，并在气候室中暴露于 0 °C 和 - 20 °C 的风寒指数。我们计算了两个模拟临床场景的热平衡，其中包括颤抖和不颤抖的受害者，并测量了凝胶、电和化学加温系统 3.5 小时的热量增益。模拟颤抖患者的热平衡为正值。在不发抖的患者中，我们发现两种模拟天气条件都存在负热平衡（0 °C 时为 - 429.53 kJ，- 20 °C 时为 - 1469.78 kJ）。每个加热系统提供大约 300 kJ。凝胶和电系统的功效在第一小时内比之后更高（p < 0.001）。我们得出的结论是，在一个不发抖的患者的模拟模型中，没有一个经过测试的加热系统能够补偿热量损失，该患者在长时间的山区疏散期间生理产热受到损害。在这些环境中似乎需要额外的隔热。我们得出的结论是，在一个不发抖的患者的模拟模型中，没有一个经过测试的加温系统能够补偿热量损失，该患者在长时间的山区疏散期间生理产热受到损害。在这些环境中似乎需要额外的隔热。我们得出的结论是，在一个不发抖的患者的模拟模型中，没有一个经过测试的加温系统能够补偿热量损失，该患者在长时间的山区疏散期间生理产热受到损害。在这些环境中似乎需要额外的隔热。