Voluntary restriction of fluid intake by means of novel water born cooling systems in patients admitted for heat stress related chronic lung disease progression correlates to reduced length of hospital treatment (LOS)

Introduction:

This trial lays focus on the subject of heat stress induced worsening of chronic lung disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of climatized treatment rooms upon the course of disease in patients presenting and admitted with acute on chronic lung disease under heat wave episodes in Berlin.

Patients/Methods:

During the prospective trial we studied the effect of novel cooling system equipped patient rooms upon the clinical disease status of emergency department (ED) referred hospital patients diagnosed chronic lung disease during summer period 2014. In this 1:1 randomized clinical pilot trial, branched into conventional patient rooms (without climatization (T mean 24.9 °C, max. T 30.5 °C) and into patient rooms equipped with capillary tube mats (set point temperature 23 °C (Clina Cooling Inc.)) the effect of climatized hospital rooms on patients voluntary and total daily fluid intake was studied. 24 patients of n41 (mean age 66,14 years, COPD 80%, 10% PAH and 10% Asthma) were eligible for data analyses.

Results:

Patients treated in radiant climate controlled rooms had a significantly lower daily fluid intake (liters per 24 hour) compared to patients in control rooms (-36%, -56% – +11%). Moreover, since patients in the climate controlled rooms stayed mean 1,51 days less in hospital (1,51; -3 – +1 day) the daily voluntary fluid intake was indirectly linear correlated to the length of hospital treatment.

Conclusion:

Water born cooling systems equipped hospital rooms are beneficial in shortening the course of disease in heat stress impaired patients suffering from chronic lung disease. Since most of the hospitals in Berlin still are lacking modern convection free air condition systems suitable for patients with chronic lung diseases, it increasingly becomes obvious that convection free indoor climate control in urban hospitals represents one possible adaptation strategy towards coping with heat wave related hospital admission.