Burn Survivor Heat Risk Calculator

Owing primarily to an absence of sweating from burn-injured skin, burn survivors are at a greater risk for a heat-related injury, particularly during physical activity in warm environmental conditions. Moreover, the perception of how hot one feels has a negative effect on one’s motivation to engage in physical activity that is otherwise beneficial for their overall health. When taken together, individuals with moderate to large burn injuries tend to avoid physical activity and thus are more likely to suffer adverse consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.   

Researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, have assessed hundreds of burn survivors to quantify their risk for a heat-related injury. The culmination of that work is a burn survivor heat risk calculator that provides information on the risk of performing physical activity in a variety of environmental conditions based on each burn survivor’s unique characteristics. Their goal is for burn survivors to use this calculator as a tool to encourage physical activity while also warning the survivor if it is not safe for them to engage in that activity in the present environmental conditions.

Importantly, regardless of the recommendations from the calculator, a burn survivor should stop physical activity and seek cooler conditions if they feel overheated or unwell.    

Get Connected

Enter your email below to get information on temperature sensitivity, updates on the latest burn survivor research, and more!