Convective air warming is more effective than resistive heating in an experimental model with a water dummy

Trauma patients with accidental hypothermia have adverse outcomes when compared with normothermic patients. Studies with a small number of mild hypothermic volunteers suggested that convective warming is more effective than warming with 12 volt resistive heating blankets. In a laboratory study, we compared the warming effectiveness of two electric blankets and convective air warming. The average speed of convective rewarming during anaesthesia in patients is approximately 0.6 degrees C per hour. Accordingly, calibration of the dummy was performed with increasing amounts of water during convective warming until we reached a temperature gain of 0.6 degrees C per hour. The following warming experiments were performed: 12 volt electric warming blanket (SH6012, Hella); 12 volt electric warming blanket (Thermamed, whole-body blanket); convective air warming (Warm Touch, Mallinckrodt, whole-body blanket). Each experiment was repeated four times. The temperature development was measured and recorded online. Convective warming increased the dummy temperature 0.6 degrees C per hour, Thermamed 0.3 degrees C per hour (P < 0.001 versus convective warming) and two Hella blankets 0.2 degrees C per hour (P < 0.001 versus convective warming). Our laboratory investigation confirmed the superiority of convective warming over resistive heating. Efforts should be made to incorporate convective warming into the out-of-hospital treatment of trauma patients. European Journal of Emergency Medicine 11:151-153 (C) 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.