Heat Detection

Prospective observational study to evaluate the body temperature difference in patients in out of hospital cardiac arrest on site and at arrival at the hospital. If the patient fulfills the inclusion criteria and after establishment of CPR measures according the ERC resuscitation guidelines (2015 or newer) an esophageal probe will be inserted and bodytemperature is measured; on site ambiental temperature will also be measured. Weather conditions, altitude on site, activity of the patient and hypothermia protection (eg. clothes) will bei documented. On arrival in hospital the body temperature will be measured with the esophageal probe;

Climate change increases extreme heat events, elevating global heat-illness risk. Females have reduced heat loss capacity (\~5%) compared to males, driven by differences in skin blood flow and sweating responses. While findings on sex-mediated mortality are mixed, some studies suggest older females (≥65 years), face higher heat-related mortality/morbidity risks, evidenced by disproportionate female deaths in the 2021 Western Heat Dome. The effects of extreme uncompensable heat on older females remain understudied. Heat exposure initially causes net heat gain, raising core/skin temperatures and triggering heat-loss responses. Under compensable heat stress, heat loss balances gain, stabilizing core temperature. Uncompensable heat stress (exceeding maximal dissipation capacity) causes continuous core temperature rise, posing severe health risks. The specific temperature and relative humidity (RH) limits where compensability is lost are critical survival determinants, influenced by age and sex. Ramping protocols identify these limits: participants face progressively increasing heat stress (e.g., staged humidity rises) while core temperature is monitored. Core temperature typically stabilizes initially, then exhibits an abrupt rapid increase at an inflection point, operationally defined as the limit of compensability. Despite increasing use, ramping protocol validity for accurately identifying this threshold remains unverified. This project assesses ramping protocol validity for determining uncompensable conditions in older females and evaluates cumulative thermal and cardiovascular strain, as well as psychological and cognitive responses to both uncompensable and compensable heat. Participants will complete five trials. Trial 1 (Ramping): Rest at 42°C, 28% RH for 70min, then incremental RH increases (3% every 10min) to 70% RH. Individual core temperature (rectal) inflection points are identified from the ramping trial. Trials 2-5 (Fixed Conditions, Randomized): i) \~10% below inflection; ii) \~5% below inflection; iii) \~5% above inflection; iv) Thermo-neutral control (26°C, 45% RH). Comparing the rate of rectal temperature change and cumulative strain during prolonged fixed exposures (especially below vs. above inflection) will validate if the ramping inflection point represents the true limit of compensability for older females.

Considering the nature of the causative agent of COVID-19, a (+)ssRNA virus, the investigators propose the use of thermotherapy as a modality for viral containment, thereby preventing the progression of the infection to severe cases. The investigators consider applying the intervention with thermotherapy mainly as an adjuvant therapy in high-risk patients. The most accessible thermotherapy delivery method the investigators have identified is the use of an electric chest pad for its wide and known clinical use, including its recommended use for patients with arthritis. The intensity of temperature delivered by the electric cushion should be placed on the first level (lowest level), to avoid discomfort to the patient. The electric cushion provides a continuous hour of regulated heat, with enough penetration to raise the external temperature of the area to 40-42 ° C, a temperature range at which facilitation of elimination of the virus is expected.

The SBI core recommendations aim to monitor, detect and ultimately decrease and avoid the adverse side effects of surgery and anaesthesia in our daily routine care.Thereby guiding clinicians on the least invasive and least side effect-prone pathway through the perioperative process.Currently, the Safe Brain Initiative has 18 core recommendations available. All recommendations are non-invasive by nature, with the primary goal of detecting and preventing/reducing adverse outcomes. SBI-Muda identifies both direct and derived economic effects. Despite being a central component of the broader SBI project, it also deserves and requires a specific focus. An inefficient OR management results in patient frustration, delays for the healthcare professionals, and a reduction in teamwork. Long waiting times can also increase stress and anxiety, prolong fluid fasting times, and exacerbate postoperative complications. SBI-Muda will improve OR efficiency, reduce POD/PND, and improve patient-reported outcomes (PRO). By providing detailed SBI-Muda dashboard updates and feedback on OR and hospital metrics and placing them in context with the individual's outcomes (e.g., starting time or delay, suture to incision time, time spent in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU) and postoperative time spent in the hospital). With SBI-Muda, the department as a whole and the healthcare specialist will have access to anonymized- more objective- systematized feedback on the quality of care and the metrics related to the perioperative process. The SBI-Us functionality focuses on assessing the subjective quality of care provided by professional service providers (nurses, doctors, and other staff) and aligning this with patient-reported quality of care. In this regard, staff members will receive a brief anonymous questionnaire regarding their perception of treatment quality over the last three months. The results will be available to single health care professionals through SBI-me and the department as a whole. SBI-Us provides a bidirectional perspective, including the patients' and the health care providers' perspectives, for benchmarking improvements in both areas and providing holistic, balanced information on the quality of care in the perioperative setting.

The hijab (headscarf and cloak) is a Muslim dress, which covers the head, neck and chest, and conceals the female hair, leaving the face uncovered. It is worn by Muslim women worldwide including young Muslim women engaging in sports and exercise. As with any clothing worn on the body, the hijab can impact heat dissipation during exercise, potentially leading to increased body temperature and discomfort, especially in warmer environments. However, the extent to which the hijab may restrict heat loss remains unclear. This study aims to assess dry and evaporative heat exchange in young women performing moderate-intensity intermittent exercise in dry heat conditions (40°C, 15% relative humidity).

On the one hand, it was clarified whether plexus needle shallow stabbing combined with electroacupuncture for the treatment of PHN in the head and face has clear and stable advantages in pain reduction, improvement of mood, sleep quality and quality of life, and formed the clinical standardization of plexus needle shallow stabbing combined with electroacupuncture for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia in the head and face, which in turn lays the foundation for the further popularization of acupuncture for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia in the head and face, and also provides a new, scientific and effective way of thinking about clinical analgesic therapies for postherpetic neuralgia. On the other hand, this study will clarify the correlation between facial thermal radiation characteristics and clinical symptoms in patients with head and face PHN, and apply infrared thermography as an objective evaluation of the efficacy index of plexus needling and shallow stabbing combined with electroacupuncture in the treatment of head and face PHN, which will provide a new method for objectively verifying the clinical efficacy of PHN.