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Heat and Cold Application
Heat and Cold Application
20
- Hat and cold are applied to the body for local and systemic effects
- Hot application is the application of a hot agent, warmer than skin either in a moist or dry
form on the surface of the body
Purpose
Therapeutic Application
Local
Dry Heat Moist Heat
- Hot water bottles - Warm soaks (local baths)
- Chemical heating bottles - Hot fomentations (compresses)
- Infrared rays - Poultices (cataplasm)
- Ultraviolet rays - Stupes (medical fomentation)
- Short wave diathermy - Paraffin baths
- Heating lamps - Sitz bath
- Electric cradles - Aquathermia pad
- Electric heating pads
Systemic
Dry Heat Moist Heat
- Sun bath - Steam baths
- Electric cradles - Hot packs
- Blanket bed - Whirlpool bath (full immersion bath)
Local
Dry Cold Moist Cold
- Ice bag - Ice to suck
- Ice collar - Cold compress
- Ice pack (poultice) - Evaporating lotion
- Ice cradle
- Chemical cold packs
Systemic
Dry Cold Moist Cold
- Hypothermia - Cold sponging
- Cold bath
- Cold pack
RICES
Ice: can decrease cell metabolism, reducing the amount of secondary hypoxic injury by enabling
tissues to live on limited oxygen and secondarily reduces pain (crushed ice is the ideal form of cold
application during initial injury because it produces the most rapid temperature decrease
Compression: decrease the pressure gradient between blood vessels and tissue and discourages
further leakage from capillaries
TYPES:
Elevation : decreases the hydrostatic pressure within the capillary beds to encourage absorption of
edema by Lymphatic system
Stabilization : limits muscle spasm and neutral inhibition related to guarding the injured area (early
stabilization eases the pain- pain cycle by letting muscles relax)
- Maximum vasoconstriction occurs when the skin temperature reaches 15 deg or in about 30
minutes to one hour
- Vasodilation begins as a protective device to prevent the body tissue from freezing
- Recovery time of one hour is best before reapplication
FACTORS AFFECTIONG HEAT AND COLD TOLERANCE
Body Part
o Certain areas of the skin have a sensitivity to temperature variations. The inner
aspect of the wrist and forearm, the neck, and the perineal area are temperature-
sensitive, while the back of the hand and the foot are not as sensitive
Duration of Application
o Therapeutic benefits of heat and cold applications are achieved with short periods of
exposure to temperature variations. Tolerance increases as the length of exposure
increases
Area of body exposed
o The larger the area exposed to heat and cold, the lower the tolerance to
temperature changes
Damage to body surface area
o Injured skin areas are more sensitive than intact areas to temperature variations
Individual tolerance
o Tolerance to temperature variations is affected by age and physical condition. The
young and the aged are especially susceptible to heat and cold. Neurosensory
impairments may interfere with the reception and perception of stimuli, increasing
the risk of injury
Age
o Thinner skin layers in children and elderly people increase the risk for burns from
the heat and cold applications. Older adults have a decreased sensitivity