title: Exploiting the igloo principle and greenhouse effect to regulate humidity and temperature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxic epidermal necrolysis can be fatal and nursing care with careful monitoring of temperature and humidity can improve survival rate. We adapted the greenhouse and igloo principle using a common hood to monitor the temperature and humidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A small heater with a regulator was placed in a mini hood and temperature was recorded inside the uncovered hood and hood covered with green cloth and aluminium foil separately. The regular hood was placed over a volunteer and the temperature was measured inside the open hood and hood covered with green cloth and aluminium foil separately. The relative humidity was also monitored using Zeal mercury dry--wet bulb hygrometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Temperature increase was most marked in the foil-covered hood followed by cloth-covered hood, both with the heater and the volunteer. Similarly, in the volunteer study, the humidity was best maintained inside the aluminium foil-covered hood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend the use of regular hood with suitable cover to monitor the humidity and temperature of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, PSG Hospitals, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Karthick S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: Shashidharan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Shanmuga V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thirumurthy
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D006361:Heating / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000592:standards; D007185:Incubators / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D013696:Temperature