title: Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center.
abstract: Hypothermic patients may be rewarmed using passive or active techniques. In case of severe accidental hypothermia (temperature<28°C) and stage III/IV according to the Swiss Staging System, standard methods might not be effective and aggressive treatment is needed. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has proved to be both effective and safe in such cases. The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, John Paul II Hospital, Cracow, Poland, established the Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center, which provides 24 h on-call to consult and accept patients who need ECMO implantation for profound hypothermia rewarming. Our center is so far the only one in Poland and can accept patients from south-east Poland. Most importantly, it collaborates with all prehospital medical services, namely, with 115 Ambulances, Polish Medical Air Rescue, Mountain Rescue Services, and all 28 Emergency Departments in the area. Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center is a solution for advanced treatment of patients with accidental hypothermia requiring ECMO implantation.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, John Paul II Hospital bDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery & Transplantology, Institute of Cardiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Hospital, Cracow cPolish Medical Air Rescue dDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Pulmonary Hospital, Tatra Mountains Rescue Team, Zakopane eDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Darocha
authors.forename: Sylweriusz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosiński
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jarosz
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gałązkowski
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drwiła
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000628:therapy*; D011044:Poland; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*