Thermal equilibrium as a predictor of growth efficiency in preterm infants.

Introduction: Providing adequate nutrition to preterm infants to achieve postnatal growth similar to intrauterine growth remains challenging due to the unpredictability of individual determinants.

Material And Methods: We used a calculation program for infant incubators to compare the estimated heat balance with the caloric intake and growth rate in Very Low Birth Weight Infants (VLBWI).

Results And Discussion: A group of 32 VLBWI was studied over a period of 14-28 days.

Increased core body temperature in astronauts during long-duration space missions.

Humans' core body temperature (CBT) is strictly controlled within a narrow range. Various studies dealt with the impact of physical activity, clothing, and environmental factors on CBT regulation under terrestrial conditions. However, the effects of weightlessness on human thermoregulation are not well understood.

Circadian rhythms in bed rest: Monitoring core body temperature via heat-flux approach is superior to skin surface temperature.

Continuous recordings of core body temperature (CBT) are a well-established approach in describing circadian rhythms. Given the discomfort of invasive CBT measurement techniques, the use of skin temperature recordings has been proposed as a surrogate. More recently, we proposed a heat-flux approach (the so-called Double Sensor) for monitoring CBT.

The accuracy of a disposable noninvasive core thermometer.

Purpose: Perioperative hypothermia is still a common occurrence, and it can be difficult to measure a patient's core temperature accurately, especially during regional anesthesia, with placement of a laryngeal mask airway device, or postoperatively. We evaluated a new disposable double-sensor thermometer and compared the resulting temperatures with those of a distal esophageal thermometer and a bladder thermometer in patients undergoing general and regional anesthesia, respectively. Furthermore, we compared the accuracy of the thermometer between regional and general anesthesia, since forehead microcirculation might differ between the two types of anesthesia.