[Skin temperature changes in Wistar rats with second-degree scald injury in hot and humid environment after cooling therapy].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the changes in skin temperature after cooling therapy immediate following superficial second-degree scald injury in Wistar rats in a hot and humid environment, and evaluate the effect of the dressing materials for the cooling therapy.


METHODS
Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal temperature control (NTC), normal temperature cooling therapy (NCT), hot and humid control (HHC), and hot and humid cooling therapy (HCT) groups (n=6). Different interventions were applied to the scalded rats: dry bulb temperature (Tdb) of 26.33+/-1.29 degree with a relative humidity (rh) of 71.05%+/-4.57% for the two normal temperature groups, and Tdb 35.33+/-0.35 degree with rh of 70.81%+/-1.38% for the two hot and humid environment groups. The dressing materials for the cooling therapy were applied to the two cooling therapy groups but not for the two control groups. The exposure time for the therapy was 125 min, and the skin temperature was measured every 20 min, starting from 5 min after the scald.


RESULTS
The skin temperature rose in hot and humid environment and decreased when cold therapy was applied (P<0.001). Interactions were found between the exposure time and environmental temperature (P<0.002), between the exposure time and cooling therapy (P<0.05), and between these 3 factors (P<0.05) to influence the skin temperature, which was 1.92+/-2.13 degrees Celsius lower in NCT group than in NTC group, and 2.36+/-1.03 degrees Celsius lower in HCT group than in HHC group.


CONCLUSIONS
The dressing materials for cooling therapy effectively reduce the skin temperature at the site of the scald injury to prevent the progression of heat-induced injury and the unfavorable effects of the heat remaining on the scalded skin.
Zhang
Li-ying
LY
Department of Nursing, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zly@fimmu.com
Li
Ya-jie
YJ
Luo
Bing-de
BD
Li
Yi-lei
YL
Lin
Ni
N
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D002980:Climate; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006813:Humidity; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012881:Skin Temperature