Clinical trials: testing of adult chemical heating pad

Chemical packs are recent innovations in the delivery of dry heat. Because these delivery systems do not have any mechanism for verifying temperature during application, research to determine their safety seems warranted. The purpose of this study was to measure the skin temperature of adults during a 30-minute application of the MediHeat adult heating pad (MH-AHP). Seventy-seven subjects received a 30-minute application of the MH-AHP to their backs while lying in both supine and prone positions. The mean skin temperature in both positions was 101 degrees F. There were significant differences, however, in minimum and maximum skin temperature between positions. Subjects in the prone position had significantly higher maximum skin temperature and significantly lower minimum skin temperature than subjects in the supine position. It is possible that the prone position allows for more air flow over the MH-AHP and that more heat was generated causing the higher maximum temperature. This explanation does not account for the lower minimum temperature. There were no significant differences in perception of heat between the positions at either 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Findings suggest that caution is necessary when applying heating devices that depend on air circulation for heat generation.