title: Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia: 2014 update.
abstract: To provide guidance to clinicians, the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of victims of accidental hypothermia. The guidelines present the main diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and provide recommendations for the management of hypothermic patients. The panel graded the recommendations based on the quality of supporting evidence and the balance between benefits and risks/burdens according the criteria published by the American College of Chest Physicians. The guidelines also provide suggested general approaches to the evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia that incorporate specific recommendations. This is an updated version of the original Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Out-of-Hospital Evaluation and Treatment of Accidental Hypothermia published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 2014;25(4):425-445.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM) (Dr Zafren). Electronic address: zafren@alaska.com.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zafren
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, Departments of Anesthesia and Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada (Dr Giesbrecht).
authors.forename: Gordon G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giesbrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY (Dr Danzl).
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Danzl
authors.affiliation: International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM) (Dr Zafren); European Academy Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Bolzano, Italy (Dr Brugger).
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brugger
authors.affiliation: University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV (Dr Sagalyn).
authors.forename: Emily B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Sagalyn
authors.affiliation: Service of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (Dr Walpoth).
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walpoth
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (Drs Weiss and Auerbach).
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (Drs Weiss and Auerbach).
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Auerbach
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (Drs McIntosh, Némethy, and McDevitt).
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (Drs McIntosh, Némethy, and McDevitt).
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Némethy
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (Drs McIntosh, Némethy, and McDevitt).
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McDevitt
authors.affiliation: Alaska Regional Hospital, Anchorage, AK; Denali National Park and Preserve, AK (Dr Dow).
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dow
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Schoene
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV (Dr Rodway).
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Rodway
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Altitude Research Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO; Institute for Altitude Medicine, Telluride, CO (Dr Hackett).
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Hackett
authors.affiliation: Military & Emergency Medicine Department, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD (Dr Bennett).
authors.forename: Brad L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center and the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (Dr Grissom).
authors.forename: Colin K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Grissom
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009051:Mountaineering; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012955:Societies, Medical; D055813:Wilderness Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
keywords: accidental hypothermia; avalanche; cold; hypothermia; resuscitation; rewarming; wilderness medicine