title: Effect of head and face insulation on cooling rate during snow burial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Avalanche victims are subjected to a number of physiological stressors during burial. We simulated avalanche burial to monitor physiological data and determine whether wearing head and face insulation slows cooling rate during snow burial. In addition, we sought to compare 3 different types of temperature measurement methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine subjects underwent 2 burials each, 1 with head and face insulation and 1 without. Burials consisted of a 60-minute burial phase followed by a 60-minute rewarming phase. Temperature was measured via 3 methods: esophageal probe, ingestible capsule, and rectal probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cooling and rewarming rates were not statistically different between the 2 testing conditions when measured by the 3 measurement methods. All temperature measurement methods correlated significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Head and face insulation did not protect the simulated avalanche victim from faster cooling or rewarming. Because the 3 temperature measurement methods correlated, the ingestible capsule may provide an advantageous noninvasive method for snow burial and future hypothermia studies if interruptions in data transmission can be minimized.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah Health Care, Salt Lake City, UT (Drs McIntosh and McDevitt). Electronic address: scott.mcintosh@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Intermountian Medical Center, Murray, UT (Drs Crouch and Dorais).
authors.forename: Andre K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Intermountian Medical Center, Murray, UT (Drs Crouch and Dorais).
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dorais
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah Health Care, Salt Lake City, UT (Drs McIntosh and McDevitt).
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McDevitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Rogue Regional Medical Center, Medford, OR (Dr Wilson).
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Nexus Orthopaedics, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT (Mr Harmston).
authors.forename: Chris H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Harmston
authors.affiliation: Granger Medical Clinic, Salt Lake City, UT (Dr Radwin).
authors.forename: Marty I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Radwin
authors.affiliation: Shock Trauma ICU, Intermountain Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, University of Utah, Murray, UT (Dr Grissom).
authors.forename: Colin K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Grissom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055875:Avalanches; D001831:Body Temperature; D002048:Burial; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D017694:Rewarming; D012914:Snow; D062125:Thermometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: avalanche; hypothermia; snow burial