Hypothermia in trauma patients: predicting the big chill

Brett H Waibel

doi:10.1186/cc11473

Abstract

Physicians commonly ignore hypothermia, an often-underappreciated event associated with mortality in trauma patients, in general due to its prevalence and belief that it is secondary to the injury itself (secondary hypothermia). Over the past several decades, hypothermia in trauma has been studied concerning its effects on mortality; however, very little has been done to identify the major risk factors associated with it. The study by Lapostolle and colleagues has attempted to incorporate environmental risk factors and prehospital care along with more traditional variables for the prediction of hypothermia at admission.

Highlights

Physicians commonly ignore hypothermia, an oftenunderappreciated event associated with mortality in trauma patients, in general due to its prevalence and belief that it is secondary to the injury itself
What is unique to this study is finding an inverse correlation of ambulance and infused fluid temperatures with admission hypothermia
The United States military has shown a reduction in hypothermia in their wounded patients using an aggressive rewarming protocol, which includes the use of warmed IV fluids, from 7% to less than 1% [9,10]

Summary

Introduction

Physicians commonly ignore hypothermia, an oftenunderappreciated event associated with mortality in trauma patients, in general due to its prevalence and belief that it is secondary to the injury itself (secondary hypothermia). They identified worsening physiology (Revised Trauma Score) to correlate with hypothermia. What is unique to this study is finding an inverse correlation of ambulance and infused fluid temperatures with admission hypothermia.

Results

Conclusion