Impact of Personal Cooling on Performance, Comfort and Heat Strain of Healthcare Workers in PPE, a Study From West Africa

Bonell, Ana; Nadjm, Behzad; Samateh, Tida; Badjie, Jainaba; Perry-Thomas, Robyn; Forrest, Karen; Prentice, Andrew M.; Maxwell, Neil

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.712481

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Prolonged physical exertion and fatigue in physically demanding environments can potentially lead to occupational injuries,22 although at temperatures considerably exceeding those experienced by surgeons. Improved thermal comfort with a cooling vest is consistent with studies conducted in real time2 23 and simulation24 and extends previous work by evaluating surgeons in a clinical environment.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

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

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesSurgeons 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).MethodsThirty 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 model accounting for within-subject correlations.ResultsThe cooling vest improved thermal comfort by a mean (95% CI) of −2.1 (–2.7 to –1.6) points on a 0–10 scale, p<0.001, with no evidence of treatment-by-period interaction (p=0.94). In contrast, cooling had no perceptible effect on cognition, with an estimated mean difference (95% CI) in Cleveland Clinic Cognitive Battery (C3B) Processing Speed Test score of 0.03 (95% CI –2.44 to 2.51), p=0.98, or in C3B Visual Memory Test score with difference of 0.88 (95% CI –2.25 to 4.01), p=0.57. Core temperature was not lower with the cooling vest, with mean difference (95% CI) of −0.13 (–0.33°C to 0.07°C), p=0.19, while mean skin temperature was lower, with mean difference of −0.23 (95% CI –0.40°C to –0.06°C) lower, p=0.011. The cooling vest significantly reduced surgeons’ perceptions of sweat-soaked clothing, fatigue and exertion.ConclusionsA cooling vest worn during surgery lowered core and skin temperatures, improved thermal comfort, and decreased perceptions of sweating and fatigue, but did not improve cognition. Thermal discomfort during major orthopaedic surgery is thus largely preventable, but cooling does not affect cognition.Trial registration numberNCT04511208.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

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

et al. 2023

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“…Zhu et al (4), conducted a survey of clinical research staff across China to assess perceptions on how procedural changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic impacted four core areas: subject enrollment, patient care, study supplies and data management, and research milestones and quality management. The results of the survey support findings from several other studies (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11); yet, decentralized clinical trials are becoming more prevalent post-pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Despite negative perceptions of clinical trial conduct during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are decentralized clinical trial methods here to stay?

Cooper¹,

Jose²

2023

Ann Transl Med

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“…Our study showed that over 2,000 research members from study sites covering the east to the west of China accepted the nationwide survey, and the results exhibited a generally negative attitude toward the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the conduct of clinical trials, especially regarding subject recruitment and patient care. Consistent with several studies from some other countries (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), the negative impact of the pandemic includes aspects such as inevitable delays in follow-up visits, challenges in handling…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in China

Zhu¹,

Sun²,

Yan³

et al. 2022

Ann Transl Med

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Background: The number of Chinese clinical trials has continued to grow throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, but we know little about clinical trial team members' perceptions and attitudes toward the impacts of the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials in China from the perspective of research staff to provide a deeper understanding and some recommendations for the ongoing and upcoming clinical trials during the pandemic.Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to respondents throughout mainland China between September 2021 and October 2021. The participants assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials based on a 5-point Likert-type scale, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to confirm the factor structure. Descriptive statistical analysis and the Mann-Whitney test were used to discover the differences between different groups.Results: A total of 2,393 questionnaires from 272 hospitals were collected in mainland China. Factor analysis resulted in 4 factors, with a cumulative explained variance of 64.93%, as follows: subject enrollment, patient care, study supplies and data management, and research milestones and quality management. The research team members, predominantly represented by clinical research coordinators (CRCs), basically agreed with all but 3 preset scenarios of the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials. Most respondents did not agree that the pandemic was associated with more serious adverse events (SAEs), missed reports of safety events, or any increase of unscheduled unblinding. In addition, significant differences were revealed in different age, gender, and role groups of respondents based on their views on the impact of the pandemic. Conclusions:The current pandemic situation has had a negative impact on clinical trials, especially in terms of subject recruitment and protocol compliance, yet research team members feel confident that some of the effective measures proposed in the study can moderate the negative impact.

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Impact of Personal Cooling on Performance, Comfort and Heat Strain of Healthcare Workers in PPE, a Study From West Africa

Cited by 8 publications

References 40 publications

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

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

Despite negative perceptions of clinical trial conduct during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are decentralized clinical trial methods here to stay?

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in China

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