title: Heat balance in premature infants: comparative effects of convectively heated incubator and radiant warmer, with without plastic heat shield.
abstract: Insensible water loss, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide production were measured in eight premature infants under four different conditions: in conventional single-walled incubator with and without plastic heat shield, and under radiant warmer with and without heat shield. IWL was greater under the radiant warmer (3.40 +/- 1.50 ml/kg/hour, mean +/- SD) than in the incubator (2.37 +/- 1.15 ml/kg/hour) when both were compared without heat shield. Addition of the heat shield reduced IWL in the incubator (2.13 +/- 0.76 ml/kg/hour) but not under the radiant warmer (3.37 +/- 0.94 ml/kg/hour). There were no significant differences in VO2 or respiratory quotient between any two of the four study conditions.
mesh_terms: D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D006361:Heating / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010969:Plastics; D012119:Respiration; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen