Cooling vest improves surgeons' thermal comfort without affecting cognitive performance: a randomised cross-over trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Surgeons become uncomfortable while performing surgery because heat transfer and evaporative cooling are restricted by insulating surgical gowns. Consequently, perceptions of thermal discomfort during surgery may impair cognitive performance. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate surgeons' thermal comfort, cognitive performance, core and mean skin temperatures, perceptions of sweat-soaked clothing, fatigue and exertion with and without a CoolSource cooling vest (Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio, USA).

Methods

Thirty orthopaedic surgeons participated in a randomised cross-over trial, each performing four total-joint arthroplasties with randomisation to one of four treatment sequences. The effects of cooling versus no cooling were measured using a repeated-measures linear m

SUBMITTER: Byrne JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10313985 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature