Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40041157›Full record

ReviewTemperature (Austin, Tex.)2025

Cold weather operations: Preventive strategies in a military context.

Lisa Klous, Hilde Teien, Sarah Hollis, Koen Levels, Appie Boonstra, Wendy Sullivan-Kwantes, François Haman, John W Castellani, Milène Catoire, Boris Kingma

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Temperature (Austin, Tex.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Lisa KlousDepartment of Human Performance, Unit Defence, Safety and Security, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9458-4830
Hilde TeienTotal Defence Division, Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI), Kjeller, Norway.
Sarah HollisRegional Occupational Health Team (ROHT) Catterick, UK Defence, Catterick, UK.
Koen LevelsTraining Medicine & Training Physiology (TGTF), Royal Netherlands Army, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Appie BoonstraMaritime Warfare Center, Royal Netherlands Army, Den Helder, the Netherlands.
Wendy Sullivan-KwantesOperational Health and Human Performance, Defence Research and Development Canada-Toronto Research Center, Toronto, Canada.
François HamanFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
John W CastellaniThermal and Mountain Medicine Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, USA.
Milène CatoireDepartment of Human Performance, Unit Defence, Safety and Security, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands.
Boris KingmaDepartment of Human Performance, Unit Defence, Safety and Security, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Soesterberg, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Military cold weather operations (CWOs) introduce a range of challenges, including extreme temperatures, strong winds, difficult terrain, and exposure to snow, ice, and water. Personnel undertaking these missions face a heightened risk of cold weather injury (CWI), such as hypothermia, freezing cold injuries, and non-freezing cold injuries. The risk of these injuries is influenced by various factors, including age, sex, and body composition. To ensure optimal and safe performance in CWOs, it is crucial to implement effective preventive measures against CWI. This article emphasizes the most pertinent strategies for CWI prevention in CWOs. Initially, it is important to assess individual vulnerability to CWI. Education and training on CWI prevention should be provided before deployment in CWOs. During CWOs, attention should be given to crucial behaviors such as using a proper layered clothing system, recognizing the risks associated with prolonged stationary periods in cold conditions, consuming adequate calories, and staying hydrated. Additionally, environmental monitoring using tools like the windchill index and regular checks on physical status are essential. Although monitoring by itself does not prevent CWI, it can prompt necessary behavioral adjustments. Education and behavioral modifications are central to preventing CWI. Given the limited research on CWI prevention in military settings, despite the frequent occurrence of these injuries, there is a pressing need for further studies to evaluate effective preventive strategies within this specific operational framework.

Indexed as

Cold weather injuriesfrostbitehypothermiamilitarypreventive

Identifiers

PMID40041157
PMCPMC11875484

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.