Published 10 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2085
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2085

Endgames

Case report

The management of accidental hypothermia

¹ Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Plymouth, Devon , ² Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A 24 year old male surfer presented to the emergency department unconscious. Lifeguards had spotted him drifting out to sea on his surfboard. Upon return to the beach he was confused, unable to walk in a straight line, and shivering violently. He subsequently collapsed and paramedics were called. On arrival at the emergency department, the patient’s Glasgow coma score was 3, and he appeared cyanotic with a regular pattern of breathing at a rate of eight breaths per minute. His pulse was irregular at 36 beats per minute and his blood pressure was unrecordable. His rectal temperature was 27.8°C. As his airway was suctioned in preparation for orotracheal intubation, the patient’s cardiac rhythm changed to ventricular fibrillation. After a pulse check and precordial thump, defibrillation was performed at 150 joules and basic life support was commenced. Two further shocks were given at appropriate intervals and 1 mg of intravenous adrenaline . . . [Full text of this article]

Box 1 Symptoms and signs of hypothermia³
Box 2 Electrocardiogram changes in hypothermia⁶

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Accidental hypothermia

Elliot Epstein and Kiran Anna
BMJ 2006 332: 706-709. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Urban hypothermia in the west of Scotland

L J Hislop, J P Wyatt, G W McNaughton, A J Ireland, T H Rainer, G Olverman, and L M Laughton
BMJ 1995 311: 725. [Extract] [Full Text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Error in the management of accidental hypothermia

Evan L Lloyd
bmj.com, 18 Jun 2009 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more here>> and here>>