Cold Water Immersion (CWI) or cryotherapy, which has been believed to be able to help athletes reduce muscle pain after sports or competitions, is also useful as first aid for hyperthermia sufferers. This fact was conveyed by the students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) at International East Asian Medical Students’ Conference (EAMSC) 2023 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
CWI is the practice of bathing for 10–15 minutes in cold water with a temperature of 10–15 degrees Celsius. Quoting from Headline portal, Dr. A. Brion Gardner, an orthopedic surgeon from The Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, said ice baths can help athletes recover faster, reduce muscle and tissue damage, and improve body function. Looking at this fact, the FKUI Student Team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding other benefits of CWI. They summarized and synthesized the effectiveness of CWI in treating heat stroke, including determining the most effective temperature and the best immersion level.
Heat stroke is an emergency condition characterized by severe hyperthermia and organ dysfunction which causes significant morbidity if not treated properly. Hyperthermia occurs when the body temperature is too high or more than 38.5 degrees Celsius which is caused by a failure in the body’s cooling control system.
“Hyperthermia is common in hot environments. In 2015, the number of people exposed to heat waves increased by 175 million. Other studies in tropical countries also estimate the death rate from heat-related illnesses to reach 19.5%,” said Najma Ali as the representative from the FKUI Student Team.
From the results of research conducted by Najma and other members, it was found that CWI can be used as one of the best first aid methods in hyperthermia conditions because it is proven to have a better cooling rate, good survival rate, and implementation that is more accessible than ice water. CWI can significantly reduce the body temperature of hyperthermic patients with an optimal temperature of 14–16 degrees Celsius and an immersion level above the waist.
The findings were then summarized in a poster entitled “Regulating the Temperature and Level of Cold Water Immersion as an Effective First-aid of Hyperthermia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Studies”. Thanks to the guidance from Prof. dr. Ardi Findyartini, Ph.D. as Professor of the Department of Medical Education FKUI, as well as Gilbert Lazarus, S.Ked. and dr. Felix Lee, BMedSc(Hons) as senior students of FKUI, the poster by the FKUI Student Team won 1st place at the national level and represented the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) of Indonesia at the EAMSC 2023 event. In the event which took place January 27–31, the FKUI student team won 2nd place at the international level.
“During the presentation, the FKUI Student Team performed a short drama with a puppet so that the material presented could be easily accepted by the audience. The puppet shows an analogy of a patient with hyperthermia whose temperature does not drop when immersed in hot water. As a solution, the puppet was given the CWI action by submerging it in a bowl of cold water to lower the puppet’s temperature. It turned out that this method succeeded in arousing the enthusiasm of the jury and the audience,” said Shakira.
