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Preventing Post-injury Hypothermia During Prolonged Prehospital Evacuation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Hans Husum ,
Tone Olsen ,
Mudhafar Murad ,
Yang Van Heng ,
Torben Wisborg  and
Mads Gilbert
Hans Husum*
Affiliation:
Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), Norway
Tone Olsen
Affiliation:
Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), Norway
Mudhafar Murad
Affiliation:
Trauma Care Foundation, North Iraq
Yang Van Heng
Affiliation:
Trauma Care Foundation, Cambodia
Torben Wisborg
Affiliation:
Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), Norway
Mads Gilbert
Affiliation:
Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), Norway
*
Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), PO Box 80, N-9038, University Hospital of Northern, Norway Email hhusum@c2i.net
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Abstract

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Introduction:

Post-injury hypothermia is a risk predictor in trauma patients whose physiology is deranged. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of simple, in-field, hypothermia prevention to victims of penetrating trauma during long prehospital evacuations.

Methods:

A total of 170 consecutively injured landmine victims were included in a prospective, clinical study in Northern Iraq and Cambodia. Thirty patients were provided with systematic prehospital hypothermia prevention, and for 140 patients, no preventive measures were provided.

Results:

The mean value for the time from injury to hospital admission was 6.6 hours (range: 0.2–72). The incidence of hypothermia (oral temperature <36°C) before prevention/rewarming was 21% (95% confidence interval: 15% to 28%). The Prevention Group had a statistically significant lower rate of hypothermia on hospital admission compared to the control group (95% confidence interval for difference: 6% to 24%).

Conclusion:

Simple, preventive, in-field measures help to prevent hypothermia during protracted evacuation, and should be part of the trauma care protocol in rural rescue systems.

Keywords

Cambodiahypothermiainjuryinjury severity scorelandminesNorthern Iraqprehospitalpreventiontrauma care
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , March 2002 , pp. 23 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2002

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