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Preventing post-injury hypothermia during prolonged prehospital evacuation
Hans Husum1, Tone Olsen, Mudhafar Murad
1Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), PO Box 80, N-9038 University Hospital of Northern Norway. hhusum@c2i.net
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 degrees 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.