NCT07433036

The Effectiveness of Emergency Room Protocols for Treating Hyperthermia

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Colorado, Colorado Springs · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will help us as scientists and clinicians understand how effective commonly used cooling protocols in emergency departments are and which of the protocols is the most effective. It consists of a single, approximately 1 hour preliminary session and five, approximately 3 hour experimental sessions, equaling an approximate 16 hour total time commitment. The purpose of this research is to test the effectiveness of three cooling protocols. 1. Cooling packs 2. "Ice Sheets", which are bed sheets soaked in ice water, wrapped around the participant, while a fan blows air on them. 3. Body bag filled with ice, commonly used in emergency departments to treat hyperthermia Additionally, a negative control (passive cooling in air-conditioned room) and a positive control (cold water immersion).

Conditions

• Hyperthermia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Passive cooling	During recovery, participants lie supine in an air-conditioned room
PROCEDURE	Cooling packs	During recovery, participants lie supine while ice packs are applied to both sides of the neck, both arm pits, and both sides of the groin
PROCEDURE	Ice sheets	During recovery, participants are wrapped in bed sheets that have been soaked in ice water, while an electric fan blows air across their body
PROCEDURE	Body bag cooling	During recovery, participants are placed in a body bag full of ice, and then have ice placed on top of their body, followed by zipping the body bag closed.
PROCEDURE	Cold water immersion	During recovery, participants are submerged in a bath, up to their neck, in cold water water with ice

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-07-01
• Primary completion: 2027-12-31
• Completion: 2028-12-31
• First posted: 2026-02-25
• Last updated: 2026-02-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States