Abstract
The recommended treatment for severe hypothermia with circulatory collapse is re-warming using cardiopulmonary by-pass. This may require transporting a patient to hospital with on-going cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Manual CPR during patient transport may result in sub-optimal chest compressions and can be a hazard for the ambulance crew. We report a case of a patient with a core temperature of 22.2 °C and crew-witnessed cardiac arrest due to hypothermia. After unsuccessful initial resuscitation he was transported to hospital for re-warming with cardiopulmonary by-pass. CPR was continued during transport using a mechanical active compression–decompression device (the LUCAS-device). During cardiopulmonary by-pass ROSC was achieved after 90 min of cardiac arrest. The patient recovered with a cerebral performance category of 3. Using a mechanical device for chest compressions during transport of a hypothermic patient with on-going CPR is feasible, effective and safe.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.