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Validity and reliability of the Cold Discomfort Scale: a subjective judgement scale for the assessment of patient thermal state in a cold environment

Lundgren, Peter ; Henriksson, Otto ; Kuklane, Kalev LU ; Holmér, Ingvar LU ; Naredi, Peter and Björnstig, Ulf (2014) In Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing 28(3). p.287-291
Abstract
Complementary measures for the assessment of patient thermoregulatory state, such as subjective judgement scales, might be of considerable importance in field rescue scenarios where objective measures such as body core temperature, skin temperature, and oxygen consumption are difficult to obtain. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in healthy subjects, the reliability of the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS), a subjective judgement scale for the assessment of patient thermal state in cold environments, defined as test–retest stability, and criterion validity, defined as the ability to detect a difference in cumulative cold stress over time. Twenty-two healthy subjects performed two consecutive trials (test–retest). Dressed in light... (More)
Complementary measures for the assessment of patient thermoregulatory state, such as subjective judgement scales, might be of considerable importance in field rescue scenarios where objective measures such as body core temperature, skin temperature, and oxygen consumption are difficult to obtain. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in healthy subjects, the reliability of the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS), a subjective judgement scale for the assessment of patient thermal state in cold environments, defined as test–retest stability, and criterion validity, defined as the ability to detect a difference in cumulative cold stress over time. Twenty-two healthy subjects performed two consecutive trials (test–retest). Dressed in light clothing, the subjects remained in a climatic chamber set to -20 C for 60 min. CDS ratings were obtained every 5 min. Reliability was

analysed by test–retest stability using weighted kappa coefficient that was 0.84 including all the 5-min interval measurements. When analysed separately at each 5-min interval the weighted kappa coefficients were was 0.48–0.86. Criterion validity was analysed by comparing median CDS ratings of a moving time interval. The comparison revealed that CDS ratings were significantly increased for every interval of 10, 15, and 30 min (p\0.001) but not for every interval of 5 min. In conclusion, in a prehospital scenario, subjective judgement scales might be a valuable measure for the assessment of patient thermal state. The results of this study indicated that, in concious patients, the CDS may be both reliable and valid for such purpose. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hypothermia Prehospital trauma care Emergency medical services Reliability Validity Subjective judgement scale Thermal comfort
in
Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing
volume
28
issue
3
pages
287 - 291
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000336275800011
  • scopus:84901672524
  • pmid:24311022
ISSN
1573-2614
DOI
10.1007/s10877-013-9533-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Open access
id
b82b454e-ae3c-47ca-a660-0fb8e2a84e58 (old id 4318058)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:53:28
date last changed
2022-01-28 03:04:25
@article{b82b454e-ae3c-47ca-a660-0fb8e2a84e58,
  abstract     = {{Complementary measures for the assessment of patient thermoregulatory state, such as subjective judgement scales, might be of considerable importance in field rescue scenarios where objective measures such as body core temperature, skin temperature, and oxygen consumption are difficult to obtain. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in healthy subjects, the reliability of the Cold Discomfort Scale (CDS), a subjective judgement scale for the assessment of patient thermal state in cold environments, defined as test–retest stability, and criterion validity, defined as the ability to detect a difference in cumulative cold stress over time. Twenty-two healthy subjects performed two consecutive trials (test–retest). Dressed in light clothing, the subjects remained in a climatic chamber set to -20 C for 60 min. CDS ratings were obtained every 5 min. Reliability was<br/><br>
analysed by test–retest stability using weighted kappa coefficient that was 0.84 including all the 5-min interval measurements. When analysed separately at each 5-min interval the weighted kappa coefficients were was 0.48–0.86. Criterion validity was analysed by comparing median CDS ratings of a moving time interval. The comparison revealed that CDS ratings were significantly increased for every interval of 10, 15, and 30 min (p\0.001) but not for every interval of 5 min. In conclusion, in a prehospital scenario, subjective judgement scales might be a valuable measure for the assessment of patient thermal state. The results of this study indicated that, in concious patients, the CDS may be both reliable and valid for such purpose.}},
  author       = {{Lundgren, Peter and Henriksson, Otto and Kuklane, Kalev and Holmér, Ingvar and Naredi, Peter and Björnstig, Ulf}},
  issn         = {{1573-2614}},
  keywords     = {{Hypothermia Prehospital trauma care Emergency medical services Reliability Validity Subjective judgement scale Thermal comfort}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{287--291}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing}},
  title        = {{Validity and reliability of the Cold Discomfort Scale: a subjective judgement scale for the assessment of patient thermal state in a cold environment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10877-013-9533-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10877-013-9533-7}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}