The Effects of Electric Fan Use Under Differing Resting Heat Index Conditions: A Clinical Trial
Authors: Nathan B. Morris, Timothy English, Lily Hospers, Anthony Capon, Ollie Jay
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters5 November 2019The Effects of Electric Fan Use Under Differing Resting Heat Index Conditions: A Clinical TrialNathan B. Morris, PhD, Timothy English, MExSpSc, Lily Hospers, BSc, Anthony Capon, MBBS, PhD, and Ollie Jay, PhDNathan B. Morris, PhDThermal Ergonomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (N.B.M., T.E., L.H.), Timothy English, MExSpScThermal Ergonomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (N.B.M., T.E., L.H.), Lily Hospers, BScThermal Ergonomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (N.B.M., T.E., L.H.), Anthony Capon, MBBS, PhDThermal Ergonomics Laboratory and School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (A.C.), and Ollie Jay, PhDThermal Ergonomics Laboratory and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (O.J.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-0512 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: The devastating effects of climate change on human health, particularly with respect to heat waves, are already evident (1). For example, heat wave events in Paris (2003) and Moscow (2010) were responsible for 4870 and 10 860 deaths, respectively (2). As a result, delivery of evidence-based health advice by physicians and health care professionals to protect against heat-related illness has never been more important. Electric fans are simple, low-cost cooling devices. Yet, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that fan use above a heat index (HI) of 37.2 °C "actually increases the heat stress the body must respond to" (3).The ...References1. Crowley RA; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Climate change and health: a position paper of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164:608-10. [PMID: 27089232]. doi:10.7326/M15-2766 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Mora C, Dousset B, Caldwell IR, et al. Global risk of deadly heat. Nat Clim Chang. 2017;7:501-6. doi:10.1038/nclimate3322 CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Excessive Heat Events Guidebook. 2006. Accessed at www.epa.gov/heat-islands/excessive-heat-events-guidebook on 31 May 2018. Google Scholar4. Rothfusz LP. The heat index "equation". National Weather Service; 1990. Technical attachment no. SR 90-23. Google Scholar5. Jay O, Cramer MN, Ravanelli NM, et al. Should electric fans be used during a heat wave? Appl Ergon. 2015;46 Pt A:137-43. [PMID: 25134988] doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2014.07.013 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (N.B.M., T.E., L.H.)Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory and School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (A.C.)Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (O.J.)Acknowledgment: The authors thank Dr. Georgia Chaseling and Mr. Mohammad Fauzan Bin Maideen for their assistance with data collection.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M19-0512.Data Sharing Statement: The following data will be made available with publication: deidentified participant data and data dictionary (www.dropbox.com/sh/6qi9j0oay6roaao/AAC6Rx7Ee7AKIg8_kF35Jtwqa?dl=0). These data will be made available to anyone wishing to access them, for any purpose.This article was published at Annals.org on 6 August 2019. 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