title: Hypothermic cardiac arrest in the homeless: what can we do?
abstract: Accidental deep hypothermia with body temperature < 28 degrees C induces high mortality rates for neurological and cardiac complications. Although several reports described successful treatment of hypothermic arrest by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the field of warming in the homeless is almost completely unquestioned although the malnutrition and the co-morbidities are usually believed as relevant risk factors for poor outcome. This article describes the experience of successful warming by ECMO in two homeless victims of unwitnessed cardiac arrest, who survived without neurological or cardiac complications. In conclusion, this is an initial experience and further research is required, although our results are appreciable in this high risk subset of population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Mauriziano Umberto I Hospital, Turin, Italy. fabrisans@katamail.com
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sansone
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flocco
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zingarelli
authors.forename: Guglielmo Mario Actis
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Dato
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Punta
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Pier Giuseppe
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Forsennati
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bardi
authors.forename: Iulia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Imbastaro
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiolero
authors.forename: Adalberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balossino
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borin
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peretto
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: del Ponte
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casabona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001831:Body Temperature; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017694:Rewarming / Q000379:methods*