Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07433036

The Effectiveness of Emergency Room Protocols for Treating Hyperthermia

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).

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Hyperthermia Behavior Body Temperature Changes Heat Stress Disorders Motor Activity Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80918, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Nathan Morris, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

719-255-4466

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Active, healthy individuals

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant
  • Have a pacemaker
  • Currently taking any prescribed or over the counter medications or nutritional supplements known to influence thermoregulatory responses
  • Experience lingering pain from a previous musculoskeletal injury (i.e. knee, hip, or back pain)
  • Use tobacco/nicotine products

Treatment and study plan

Passive cooling

Procedure

During recovery, participants lie supine in an air-conditioned room

Cooling packs

Procedure

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

Other names: Ice packs

Ice sheets

Procedure

During recovery, participants are wrapped in bed sheets that have been soaked in ice water, while an electric fan blows air across their body

Body bag cooling

Procedure

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.

Other names: Ice bag

Cold water immersion

Procedure

During recovery, participants are submerged in a bath, up to their neck, in cold water water with ice

Other names: Ice water immersion

Primary outcomes

  1. Rectal temperature cooling rate

    Time frame: The measurement occurs immediately upon completion of the exercise protocol. Time itself is part of the outcome variable and will vary between participants (~3 to 40 min post exercise protocol).

    Following termination of the exercise protocol, at a core temperature above 39 degrees Celcius, participants will be cooled until they reach a core temperature of 38 degrees Celcius. The cooling rate in degrees Celcius per minute, is the primary outcome.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Nathan Morris, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

719-255-4466

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Other

Registry information

Acronym: EDCP

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Feb 25, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.