Insulated skin temperature as a measure of core body temperature for individuals wearing CBRN protective clothing

This study assessed the validity of insulated skin temperature (Tis) to predict rectal temperature (Tre) for use as a non-invasive measurement of thermal strain to reduce the risk of heat illness for emergency service personnel. Volunteers from the Police, Fire and Rescue, and Ambulance Services performed rolerelated tasks in hot (30 ◦C) and neutral (18 ◦C) conditions, wearing service specific personal protective equipment. Insulated skin temperature and micro climate temperature (Tmc) predicted Tre with an adjusted r2 = 0.87 and standard error of the estimate (SEE) of 0.19 ◦C. A bootstrap validation of the equation resulted in an adjusted r2 = 0.85 and SEE = 0.20 ◦C. Taking into account the 0.20 ◦C error, the prediction of Tre resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 91%, respectively. Insulated skin temperature and Tmc can be used in a model to predict Tre in emergency service personnel wearing CBRN protective clothing with an SEE of 0.2 ◦C. However, the model is only valid for Tis over 36.5 ◦C, above which thermal stability is reached between the core and the skin.