When keeping cool is not the best option

This prospective observational study was designed to establish the incidence of accidental hypothermia in major trauma patients (MTP) and to identify factors that influence the prehospital temperatures of these patients.

The reason for the study was that hypothermia has been identified as a potential contributing factor to preventable mortality in MTPs although some of the evidence has been contradictory.

Most studies have shown hypothermia to have an independent association with death but one study from Australia in 1995 (Gunning et al) reported that hypothermia made no difference to mortality rates.

Ireland et al's study (2011) reviewed 732 medical records for MTPs and concluded that accidental hypothermia in seriously injured patients was associated with a threefold increase in the risk of death, independent of any other risk factors (OR [CI 95%] 3.44 [1.48 – 7.99], P=0.04).

The results identified that patients admitted with hypothermia had worse base deficits, longer hospital stay for survivors, and a higher risk of infection when compared with non-hypothermic patients.