Forced‐Air Rewarming in — 20°C Simulated Field Conditions a

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Danzl

et al. 2019

112

To provide guidance to clinicians, the Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of victims of accidental hypothermia. The guidelines present the main diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and provide recommendations for the management of hypothermic patients. The panel graded the recommendations based on the quality of supporting evidence and a balance between benefits and risks/burdens according to the criteria published by the American College of Chest Physicians. The guidelines also provide suggested general approaches to the evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia that incorporate specific recommendations. This is

Section: Rewarming During Transportmentioning

confidence: 91%

Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Out-of-Hospital Evaluation and Treatment of Accidental Hypothermia: 2019 Update

Dow

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Danzl

et al. 2019

112

“…Forced-air warming, usually with an air-filled plastic baffled blanket with continuous heated airflow through perforations in the bottom of the blanket, is an effective way to rewarm a hypothermic patient. 26 ,60,61 In one study, the afterdrop with forced-air warming was less than with shivering. 62 Forced-air warming is more effective and more practical than a liquid-filled heating blanket.…”

Section: Field Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Out-of-Hospital Evaluation and Treatment of Accidental Hypothermia: 2014 Update

Zafren

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Danzl

et al. 2014

125

To provide guidance to clinicians, the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of victims of accidental hypothermia. The guidelines present the main diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and provide recommendations for the management of hypothermic patients. The panel graded the recommendations based on the quality of supporting evidence and the balance between benefits and risks/burdens according the criteria published by the American College of Chest Physicians. The guidelines also provide suggested general approaches to the evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia that incorporate specific recommendations. This is an updated version of the original Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Out-of-Hospital Evaluation and Treatment of Accidental Hypothermia published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 2014;25(4):425-445.

“…provides opportunities for other rewarming methods and more advanced care. The power available in these vehicles allows the use of forced‐air warming devices, 44 resistive heating (electric) devices and in large transport vehicles (i.e. ships), warm water immersion of arms and legs 45 .…”

Section: Strategies For Care Of the Hypothermic Patientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency treatment of hypothermia

2001

Emergency Medicine

This review considers several recent concepts regarding aetiology and treatment of accid‐ental hypothermia. The importance and effectiveness of shivering heat production in the attenuation and reversal of hypothermia is described. Immediately following removal from cold stress, the patient is in danger of a deteriorating condition that may be due to collapse of arterial pressure and/or continued decrease of core temperature. Several controversies are discussed. It is advised that, when possible, patients should be actively but gently warmed as soon as possible (especially if arrival at the emergency department will take greater than 45 min). Extra time should be taken to check for life signs before cardiopulmonary resus‐citation is initiated. Chest compressions should proceed at regular normothermic rates and care should be taken to not overventilate the patient. In the emergency department, several factors should be considered before deciding on a treatment regimen. These factors include level of consciousness, cardiovascular stability, core temperature and the direction of change of core temperature. It may be advantageous to transport the more severely hypothermic patient to a more advanced care facility even though transport time may be greater. See Commentary, page 5.