Prehospital Use of Ultrathin Reflective Foils.

Details

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State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: All rights reserved
Serval ID
serval:BIB_3FD87AA022AC
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Review (review): journal as complete as possible of one specific subject, written based on exhaustive analyses from published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Prehospital Use of Ultrathin Reflective Foils.
Journal
Wilderness & environmental medicine
Author(s)
Kosiński S., Podsiadło P., Darocha T., Pasquier M., Mendrala K., Sanak T., Zafren K.
ISSN
1545-1534 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1080-6032
Publication state
Published
Issued date
03/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
33
Number
1
Pages
134-139
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Ultrathin reflective foils (URFs) are widely used to protect patients from heat loss, but there is no clear evidence that they are effective. We review the physics of thermal insulation by URFs and discuss their clinical applications. A conventional view is that the high reflectivity of the metallic side of the URF is responsible for thermal protection. In most circumstances, the heat radiated from a well-clothed body is minimal and the reflecting properties of a URF are relatively insignificant. The reflection of radiant heat can be impaired by condensation and freezing of the moisture on the inner surface and by a tight fit of the URF against the outermost layer of insulation. The protection by thermal insulating materials depends mostly on the ability to trap air and increases with the number of covering layers. A URF as a single layer may be useful in low wind conditions and moderate ambient temperature, but in cold and windy conditions a URF probably best serves as a waterproof outer covering. When a URF is used to protect against hypothermia in a wilderness emergency, it does not matter whether the gold or silver side is facing outward.
Keywords
heat exchange, hypothermia, insulation, space blankets, survival blankets
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
17/01/2022 11:36
Last modification date
11/08/2023 6:10
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