*Tomasz Derkowski1, Sylweriusz Kosinski2, Tomasz Sanak3, Paweł Podsiadlo1, 4, Daniel Celinski1, 5, Robert Galazkowski1, 5, Tomasz Darocha1, 6
Post-traumatic hypothermia in the pre-hospital period – diagnosis and treatment
Hipotermia pourazowa w okresie przedszpitalnym – rozpoznanie i leczenie
1Polish Air Medical Rescue, Warsaw, Poland
2Department of Emergency Medical Services, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
3Department of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
4Polish Society for Mountain Medicine and Rescue, Szczyrk, Poland
5Department of Emergency Medical Services, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
6Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Streszczenie
Konsekwencje hipotermii w okresie pourazowym są znane od ponad czterech dekad, ale świadomość problemu jest nadal niska. Hipotermia pourazowa jest czynnikiem ryzyka groźnych powikłań i zgonu u chorych z ciężkimi obrażeniami ciała. Postępowanie medyczne w okresie przedszpitalnym powinno być ukierunkowane na jak najszybsze przerwanie ekspozycji na niekorzystne warunki środowiska, zahamowanie utraty ciepła poprzez adekwatną izolację termiczną, tamowanie krwotoków, unikanie masywnych przetoczeń płynów i jak najszybszy transport do szpitala w odpowiednio przygotowanym środku transportu. Niezwykle istotne są świadomość problemu, prewencja i odpowiednia koordynacja działań na każdym etapie leczenia.
Summary
Implications of post-traumatic hypothermia are known for over four decades however general awareness of such occurrence is still low.
Post-traumatic hypothermia is a risk factor for severe complications and death of patients with serious injuries. Medical treatment in perioperative period should be directed towards the prompt cessation of patient exposure to adverse weather conditions, inhibition of heat loss by appropriate thermal insulation, haemorrhage control, avoidance of excessive administration of fluids and quick transfer to a hospital in appropriately prepared means of transport.
Hypothermia awareness, preventative tasks and coordination of action at each stage of the rescue is crucial.
Introduction
In accordance with the ATLS committee, post-traumatic hypothermia can be diagnosed at the central temperature below 36°C (1). Further stages and post-traumatic hypothermia classification is shown in the table 1 (2, 3). Certain scientific literature acknowledges hypothermia at 35°C, however in Poland the ATLS definition is considered correct due to the impact of post-traumatic period as well as prevention role in hypothermia.
Tab. 1. Post-traumatic hypothermia classification
| Classification | Temperature range |
| Mild | 36-34°C |
| Moderate | 34-32°C |
| Severe | < 32°C |
The “post-traumatic hypothermia” term have been introduced in the 80’s of 20th century (3-5). Commonly, and alongside with acidosis and coagulopathy, have been known as “deadly triad”. However, nowadays, hypothermia is being recognized as a standalone factor in severe injury complications. Indeed, the knowledge around this matter is confined among certain medical personnel groups only (6).
Review
Pathophysiology
Both hypothermia types – due to cold exposure (also known as accidental) as well as post-traumatic – results from negative thermal balance, i.e. higher heat loss than its production. Ways of heat loss and its meaning in post-traumatic hypothermia have been described in table 2.
Tab. 2. Major means of heat loss in human body
| Means of heat loss | Description and meaning |
| Conduction | Heat transfer via direct contact, such as body adherence to lower temperature surface – concrete (fig. 1), ground, spinal board. Major heat loss is caused by body immersion in water. Wet clothes speed up the heat loss. |
Fig. 1. Thermal trace of the human in thermography (so called “symptom of the Turin Shroud”). The picture of the concrete where the injured patient has been laid. It shows the role of conduction in heat loss of the organism. Own archive by Tomasz Sanak
| Convection | Heat transfer from the body surface to the surrounding air. Convectional heat loss is further escalated by the air movement, such as wind, draught or open window in the ambulance. |
| Radiation | Energy transfer in form of radiation within the infrared band. The energy is being emitted by warmer objects and absorbed by colder ones. The lower surface temperature, the lower amount of heat is being transferred. Usually the radiation is one of ways of the heat loss, however in case of insulation or radiators, radiation can allow to create the heat gain. |
| Vaporization | Loss of the heat that allows needed for vaporization of the moisture from the skin surface. In hypothermia such process takes place under sealed, moisture-proof clothes and covers. |
| Breathing | Approximately 10% of the whole heat loss takes place via airways (convection and moisture vaporization from mucous membrane). |
Epidemiology: causes and risk factors
Among patients with body injuries as admitted to ER’s, the hypothermia occurs from 1.5% to over 60% (7-11). Such huge discrepancy comes from both, various criteria as used while diagnosis as well as scientific research methodology. The main issue seems to be not so much the set temperature threshold, but the frequency and the means of its measurement. It turns out that the core temperature (Ct) measurement, even though it should be the case, in fact it is not the routine task with patients suffering from serious injury. In German register of multi-organ injuries (DGU) the Ct measurement has been documented at less than 40% of patients (12). It turns out that the most serious risk factor for post-traumatic hypothermia is the nature and severity of the injury along with the existing shock (9, 13-16). Metabolic transition is being carried out much slower due to the limited flow of the blood within tissues. This results in limited production of the heat. The tissue hypoxia is also a natural inhibitor of muscular shiver that, in normal circumstances, provides very effective way for thermogenesis. Should you add intensified loss of the heat to the impaired heat production, it will result in a very rapid loss of the core temperature. Table 3 summarizes post--traumatic hypothermia risk factors.
Tab. 3. Post-traumatic hypothermia risk factors (according to 9, 13-19)
• Nature and severity of the injury (penetrating trauma, Injury Severity Score > 15)
• Volume and temperature of the intravenous fluid administration
• Temperature inside the transporting unit
• Age > 65 years
• Neurological impairment (GCS < 8)
• Immobilisation (i.e. inside a vehicle)
• Head injury
• Alcohol intoxication
• Extended time between the sustained injury and the arrival at the hospital
• Endotracheal intubation
• Cold time of the year |
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