[Electrocardiographic changes in accidental hypothermia].
An 83-year-old woman was found unconscious several hours after she had fallen and fractured her lower limbs in a very cold cellar. On admission she was in shock and had metabolic acidosis, anemia and hypokalemia; her axillary and rectal temperature was 23 degrees C. Her initial ECG showed atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular response and a prominent J wave on the left precordial leads. These changes reverted to normal when body temperature returned to 37 degrees C. Moreover a transient, hypothermia-associated increase of QRS voltage was noted.
D000061:Accidents, Home; D000138:Acidosis / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
Modificazioni elettrocardiografiche nella ipotermia accidentale.