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Out in the cold: the hypothermic heart response

Yassar Nabeel1, Omair Ali2

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Coralville, Iowa, USA.

BMJ Case Reports
|November 20, 2014
PubMed

We present an interesting case of a 49-year-old woman with hypothermia and associated Osborn waves (also called J waves) on ECG. She was found on the floor of her home and difficult to arouse. On arrival to the emergency department (ED), her rectal temperature was 87.5°F. ECG showed Osborn waves in diffuse leads. She was intubated in the ED and was started on vasopressor support for hypotension refractory to intravenous fluid boluses. She was transferred to the critical care unit for continued respiratory and cardiovascular support. With active external rewarming her core body temperature continued to improve. Blood pressure also improved and vasopressor was tapered off. She was extubated and was transferred to the medical floor for continued supportive care. Osborn waves on ECG resolved within 12 h of achieving normal range body temperature. The patient was eventually discharged home with medical follow-up.

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