Body cooling helps bleeding patients
Cooling the bodies of wounded soldiers or other patients with high body temperatures could improve their chances of survival, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas tested the effects of heart stress on bleeding in 11 healthy men in their 20s, HealthDay reported.
Participants wore a special suit that raised their internal and skin temperatures, while scientists monitored their blood pressure, cardiac output (blood being pumped by the heart), and resistance to blood being pumped throughout the circulatory system (measured in part by blood vessel diameter).
"What we’ve discovered suggests that when soldiers experience blood loss while heat-stressed, which is common in a combat environment, their capacity to maintain adequate blood pressure is greatly compromised," said lead author Craig Crandal. "That quickly leads to unconsciousness and other potentially life-threatening medical problems."
Findings suggest that cooling can help heat-stressed patients such as soldiers with combat injuries, firefighters, police officers and victims of other similar emergencies.
"Fire fighters are often in high-heat environments when fighting structure fires," said Crandal. "But fire fighters and police officers are also outside wearing their full uniforms and are at higher than average risk for an injury that could involve bleeding. Construction workers who are outside in the summer heat of North Texas also face the same perils if they’ re injured on the job."
Source: presstv.ir
