Serum enzyme activities in accidental hypothermia and hypothermic myxoedema

Abstract

The high serum activities of the enzymes creatine kinase, “α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase” and aspartate aminotransf erase found in 75 patients with accidental hypothermia and 18 with hypothermic myxoedema have been shown to be unrelated to either the severity or the duration of the hypothermia, but to be directly related to disturbances of acid—base equilibrium, hypoxia and hypotension. An inverse relationship also exists between the “α-hydroxybutyrate dehy drogenase’d and the serum protein bound iodine levels, suggesting that a thyroid hormone-lack cardiomyopathy may be contributing to the exceptionally poor prognosis of those with hypothermic myxoedema. These findings have important implications for the rational management of patients with accidental hypothermia or hypothermic myxoedema.