Current and Future Cooling Technologies Used in Preventing Heat Illness and Improving Work Capacity for Battlefield Soldiers: Review of the Literature

O'Hara, Reginald; Eveland, Ed; Fortuna, Sarah; Reilly, Patricia; Pohlman, Roberta L.

doi:10.7205/milmed.173.7.653

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…All studies are in small cohorts and none have shown a reduction in heat illness which, along with cost effective considerations, would be required for widespread use. Novel cooling solutions, such as carotid artery cooling (O'Hara et al, 2008), have been studied for the purposes of the acute management of heat stroke but have yet to be studied extensively as a preventative tool. Cooling may be best directed toward the face where studies which attempted to uncouple the psychological from physiological effects of heat acclimatization suggested that the reduction in perceived strain of exertion and thermal stress following acclimatization may be derived through greater reductions in facial temperature (Malgoyre et al, 2018).…”

Section: Optimizing the Risk-performance Paradigm -The Future Of Milimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cooling may be best directed toward the face where studies which attempted to uncouple the psychological from physiological effects of heat acclimatization suggested that the reduction in perceived strain of exertion and thermal stress following acclimatization may be derived through greater reductions in facial temperature (Malgoyre et al, 2018). Whilst there has been significant research in this area, due to the obvious potential advantages, the efficacy of cooling devices, such as cooling vests, are reportedly, and somewhat disappointingly, only as effective as drinking ice cold water (Sawka et al, 1992;O'Hara et al, 2008). In a meta-analysis (Daanen et al, 2018), adaptations in core temperature were more sustained when daily heat exposure duration was increased but heat exposure intensity was decreased.…”

Section: Optimizing the Risk-performance Paradigm -The Future Of Milimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel: Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance

2019

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The study of heat adaptation in military personnel offers generalizable insights into a variety of sporting, recreational and occupational populations. Conversely, certain characteristics of military employment have few parallels in civilian life, such as the imperative to achieve mission objectives during deployed operations, the opportunity to undergo training and selection for elite units or the requirement to fulfill essential duties under prolonged thermal stress. In such settings, achieving peak individual performance can be critical to organizational success. Short-notice deployment to a hot operational or training environment, exposure to high intensity exercise and undertaking ceremonial duties during extreme weather may challenge the ability to protect personnel from excessive thermal strain, especially where heat adaptation is incomplete. Graded and progressive acclimatization can reduce morbidity substantially and impact on mortality rates, yet individual variation in adaptation has the potential to undermine empirical approaches. Incapacity under heat stress can present the military with medical, occupational and logistic challenges requiring dynamic risk stratification during initial and subsequent heat stress. Using data from large studies of military personnel observing traditional and more contemporary acclimatization practices, this review article (1) characterizes the physical challenges that military training and deployed operations present (2) considers how heat adaptation has been used to augment military performance under thermal stress and (3) identifies potential solutions to optimize the risk-performance paradigm, including those with broader relevance to other populations exposed to heat stress.

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Section: Optimizing the Risk-performance Paradigm -The Future Of Milimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Optimizing the Risk-performance Paradigm -The Future Of Milimentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel: Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance

2019

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“…It has been reported, however, that exertional heat stroke is the third leading cause of death in athletes (Howe and Boden, 2007 (Armstrong et al, 2007), the National Athletic Trainers Association (Binkley et al, 2002), and various occupational and industrial safety groups have published heat injury prevention and treatment guidelines. However, as large-scale retrospective data demonstrate, EHI continues to be a problem (Carter et al, 2005) and additional mitigation procedures, such as extremity cooling in a field environment, are needed (O'Hara et al, 2008). Because of the characteristics of the affected individuals, EHI are viewed as preventable injuries.…”

Section: Exertional Heat Injury Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clothing/equipment limiting heat loss is common in numerous military, firefighting, hazmat incident, law enforcement, and sporting endeavors (e.g., American Football) (Cheuvront et al, 2003). When physiological cooling is insufficient, active cooling countermeasures may be capable of extending work performance time and reducing EHI incidence and severity (O'Hara et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extremity cooling for heat stress mitigation in military and occupational settings

DeGroot

Gallimore

Thompson

et al. 2013

Journal of Thermal Biology

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a b s t r a c tPhysical work, high ambient temperature and wearing protective clothing can elevate body temperature and cardiovascular strain sufficiently to degrade performance and induce heat-related illnesses. We have recently developed an Arm Immersion Cooling System (AICS) for use in military training environments and this paper will review literature supporting such an approach and provide details regarding its construction. Extremity cooling in cool or cold water can accelerate body (core temperature) cooling from 0.2 to 1.0 1C/10 min vs. control conditions, depending on the size/surface area of the extremity immersed. Arm immersion up to the elbow results in greater heat loss than hand-or foot-only immersion and may reduce cardiovascular strain by lowering heart rate by 10-25 beats/min and increase work tolerance time by up to 60%. The findings from studies in this paper support the use of AICS prototypes, which have been incorporated as part of the heat stress mitigation procedures employed in US Army Ranger Training and may have great application for sports and occupational use.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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“…A study conducted by O'Hara et al on soldiers of United Kingdom in hot and humid environment of UK concluded that acclimatization should be done before going to hot and humid conditions, light weight clothes should be wearied and hydration level should be maintained during physical activity, are simple techniques that can attenuate heat stress 16 .…”

Section: Studies Conducted By Topp and Johar Et Al Concluded Thatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Clinical Efficacy of Cooling Gel Patch

Hussain¹,

Asim²,

Atif³

et al. 2021

PAFMJ

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Objective: To determine the efficacy of cooling gel patch in various clinical indications and comparison of cooling gel patch with water spray and cold sponging in fever and heat exhaustion. Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Garrison Medical Centre Okara Cantt, from Sep to Dec 2018. Methodology: A total of 48 male patients, age ranges from 20-40 years were assessed with different clinical indications of cooling gel patch. Patients with fever, heat exhaustion, headache, muscle cramps and toothache were included in this study and patients with acute illness other than fever were excluded. A control group of 20individuals was also analyzed against fever and heat exhaustion in which water spray and cold sponging wasused. Frequency and percentages of each indication were calculated and chi square test was applied. Results: Total of 48 individuals living in plain terrain with various clinical indications of cooling gel patch wereassessed. Cooling Gel Patch was tested on 16 sportsmen with heat exhaustion out of which 2 (12.5%) individualhad minimal effect whereas control group of 10 showed good response in 8 (80%) sportsmen with water sprayand cold sponging with p-value .000578. Six patients with headache and 4 individuals with toothache reportedno reduction in symptoms. Two out of 6 patients with muscle cramps reported mild relief in symptoms. Sixteenpatients reported with high grade fever and out of these, 12 (75%) individuals showed no reduction in temperature after 4 hours of application......

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Current and Future Cooling Technologies Used in Preventing Heat Illness and Improving Work Capacity for Battlefield Soldiers: Review of the Literature

Abstract: Many of the cooling methods and devices detailed in the literature are impractical for use in the field. Future research should focus on cooling technologies that are practical in the battlefield and have sustainable cooling effects.

Cited by 18 publications

References 13 publications

Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel: Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance

Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel: Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance

Extremity cooling for heat stress mitigation in military and occupational settings

Assessment of Clinical Efficacy of Cooling Gel Patch

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