Severe accidental hypothermia successfully treated by warmed peritoneal lavage.
A case of severe accidental hypothermia (core temperature 20 degrees C) in an elderly woman successfully treated by warmed lavage of peritoneal cavity is reported. The various available rewarming techniques and some observations about the differential diagnosis between the severe hypothermic patient with cardiac arrest and the hypothermic dead person are briefly reviewed on the basis of current literature.
Visetti
E
E
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Ospedale G. Bosco, Torino.
Pastorelli
M
M
Bruno
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D017694:Rewarming / Q000379:methods*