Thermal increment provided by inhalation rewarming from hypothermia

Abstract

To quantify the core temperature gain derived from inhalation rewarming, 10 subjects were immersed in seawater (mean temperature 12 degrees C) until a 2 degree C drop in rectal temperature occurred, and were then rewarmed by breathing hot saturated air at 45 degrees C for 30 min. Each subject was rewarmed once breathing air and once rebreathing a controlled fraction of expired air adjusted to produce a hyperventilation of 50 l/min. After 30 min of rewarming mean rectal temperature had increased 0.39 degrees C in subjects breathing air compared with 0.77 degrees C in those hyperventilating (P less than 0.01). Corresponding gains in tympanic temperatures were 1.1 and 1.5 degrees C, respectively. Calculations indicate that the additional heat input with hyperventilation yielded a core (rectal) temperature gain of 5.1 X 10(-4) degrees C/l. It is concluded that each additional 10 l/min of ventilation of hot saturated air will increase the rate of core rewarming from hypothermia by approximately 0.3 degrees C/h.