ICU Primary PrepCast #Epi 50 - ICU Primary - Bedside preparation Part 7 - Christmas Special
Dec 23, 2021
Dr. Mike Lippard, a Melbourne-based clinician, dives into the fascinating science of thermoregulation with a Christmas twist. He explains how Santa maintains his body temperature while traveling the globe, detailing mechanisms like shivering and brown fat thermogenesis. The discussion also covers the intricacies of how thermometers function, including unique types like ingestible sensors. With lively banter and trivia about temperature scales, this episode blends humor and education perfectly, making holiday science both entertaining and insightful.
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How Human Thermoregulation Works
- Humans maintain a narrow core temperature around 37°C using hypothalamic set-points and peripheral sensors.
- Skin blood flow varies massively (≈100–8,000 ml/min) to regulate heat loss via vasodilation and vasoconstriction.
Brain And Peripheral Sensors In Temperature Control
- Anterior hypothalamus responds to warmth and posterior hypothalamus to cold, with peripheral Krause and Ruffini receptors feeding back.
- Shivering, non-shivering thermogenesis and brown fat all contribute to heat generation in cold exposure.
Brown Fat Is Key In Babies
- Neonates rely heavily on brown fat distributed interscapularly and perinephric to generate non-shivering heat.
- Babies lose heat faster due to higher surface-area-to-mass ratio, so brown fat is vital at birth.