Safe Indoor Temperature Limit for Fans

NCT ID: NCT06584903

Last Updated: 2024-09-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 10 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-01-20
• Study Completion Date: 2024-04-30

Brief Summary

Extreme heat events are a significant global threat to health and wellbeing, and result in more morbidity and mortality than all other natural disasters combined. Thus, a key priority is identifying effective and accessible heat resilience solutions to protect individuals from the potentially fatal consequences of heat stress. Within a range of ambient conditions, a fan has been recognized a low-cost heat resilience solution. However, when ambient temperatures exceed skin temperatures (e.g., above 35°C), a fan will incur greater dry heat gain which may be counterbalanced with evaporation of sweat from the skin surface. However, at a critical indoor temperature, the rate of heat gain will exceed the rate of evaporation resulting in net heat gain. The critical indoor temperature has yet to be determined. The purpose of this present study is to identify the indoor temperature at which a fan results in greater cardiovascular and thermal strain relative to still air in young adults using a simulated heat wave scenario of a warming room.

Conditions

Heat Exposure; Healthy; Young Adults; Fans

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Still air

still air condition with no supplemental air flow

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Temperature Ramp Protocol

Intervention Type: OTHER

Following a 45 minute baseline in 37°C seated on a chair, the indoor temperature in the climate-controlled room increased from 37°C to 47°C at \~0.06°C/min (relative humidity \~26%) over 180 minutes.

Electric fan

Force air flow with a 46 cm 3-blade fan positioned 1.2 m anterior to the participants chest

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Temperature Ramp Protocol

Intervention Type: OTHER

Following a 45 minute baseline in 37°C seated on a chair, the indoor temperature in the climate-controlled room increased from 37°C to 47°C at \~0.06°C/min (relative humidity \~26%) over 180 minutes.

Interventions

Temperature Ramp Protocol

Following a 45 minute baseline in 37°C seated on a chair, the indoor temperature in the climate-controlled room increased from 37°C to 47°C at \~0.06°C/min (relative humidity \~26%) over 180 minutes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Body mass index less than 30
• male or female
• ability to tolerate hot environments for a prolonged period (e.g. >2 h)

Exclusion Criteria

• Any respiratory disease
• Any cardiovascular disease, including hypertension
• Diabetes
• not currently on any medication (except oral contraceptives)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 39 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Lakehead University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Nicholas Ravanelli

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Nicholas Ravanelli, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National University of Singapore

Locations

Lakehead University

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Countries

Canada

Other Identifiers

26897

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id