A non-invasive means to effectively restore normothermia in cold stressed individuals: a preliminary report

The combined application of subatmospheric pressure and heat to a forearm and hand has been previously reported to be an effective method for restoring normothermia in hypothermic postoperative patients. The objective of this study was to determine whether this technique also could be useful for the treatment of accidental hypothermia. Four otherwise healthy cold-stressed soldiers (core temperature <36.0 degrees C) were studied. In all four cases, application of the subatmospheric pressure induced an immediate local distention of the subcutaneous vasculature of the hand and fingers. Tympanic temperature reached a plateau in a normothermic range within 15 min in all subjects. The subjects also noted rapid elimination of shivering and improvement in subjective assessment of thermal comfort. These results are encouraging and warrant further investigation of the technique.