Improvised options for reducing heat loss from giving sets

During my recent visit to the Universit?t Bern , I was gifted an infrared camera by Dr Aristomenis (Aris) Exadaktylos. Of course, I had to see how I could integrate this new capability into my current research projects. I have been tinkering around with concepts on how to minimise heat loss, which a remote medic has to deal with. My current question is this: Is there an improvised way to reduce the heat loss occurring in the IV giving set?

Before I jumped into this new experiment, I had to test the infrared camera. Here is a photo of my cat in a dark room. The camera works perfectly, and now I can always find my cat, even when he is hiding!

I created a simple experiment to measure the heat before and after the solution goes through the IV set. I set up four variables and used the camera to measure the temperature of the solution in the IV bag and as it exited the set. Here are my results.

The bubble wrap was the best at keeping the solution warm. I used the tubular bubble wrap from my Trauma Bubble Mat experiments. Here is a closer look at this setup.

More research is needed. This is a wonky study, to say the least. It is definitely not publishable, and I need more data points and a more robust study set-up.

I would like to thank Dr Aristomenis (Aris) Exadaktylos FRCEM FFRRHHEd for his kind donation of the FLIR camera.

The Bottom Line: Be a Better Medic. Learn how to improvise options to reduce your heat loss from your IV lines.