Hypothermia: key concepts and approach

Authors

  • Lina María Martínez Sánchez Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia
  • Laura Duque Echeverri Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia
  • Jose Manuel Gil Ramos Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia
  • Yuban Sebastián Cuartas Agudelo Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.39.02.338.009

Keywords:

Hypothermia, Emergencies

Abstract

Hypothermia is defined as a body temperature < 36 °C. Many predisposing factors have been described, such as the use of anesthetics, premedication drugs, low ambient temperature, and abdominal surgical interventions are factors that can contribute to its development. Accidental hypothermia has been described as a predictor of unfavorably clinical results, in addition to higher mortality, higher requirements for transfusion of blood products and a prolonged hospital stay. Heating and ventilation systems can be used for the management of this entity to ensure a stable temperature and adequate humidity that provide thermal comfort to the patient; this approach has a high effectiveness rate. Therefore, the objective of this article is to describe the strategies for the management of patients with accidental hypothermia in the emergency department. A literature review in English and Spanish was carried out in the PubMed and Elsevier databases from August 2021 to January 2022, using DeCS keywords and terms such as hypothermia and medical emergencies. According to the information found, the diagnosis of accidental hypothermia must be made quickly and then make an adequate classification that allows an appropriate approach of the patient in both the pre-hospital and hospital environment, likewise it must be individualized and guided by resuscitation goals.

Author Biographies

Lina María Martínez Sánchez, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia

Bacterióloga  del Colegio Mayor de Antioquia (Colombia). Especialista en hematología y manejo del banco de sangre de Pontifica Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). Magíster en educación de Uniminuto. Docente de la misma universidad.

Linam.martinez@upb.edu.co. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9555-0843. CVLAC: https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoCv.do?cod_rh=0000091898.

Laura Duque Echeverri, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia

Estudiante pregrado de medicina Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana(Colombia).

Laura.duquee@upb.edu.co. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9707-676X. CVLAC: https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoCv.do?cod_rh=0001828537.

Jose Manuel Gil Ramos, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia

Estudiante pregrado de medicina Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Colombia).

jose.gil@upb.edu.co. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7158-8778. CVLAC: https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoCv.do?cod_rh=0001740030.

Yuban Sebastián Cuartas Agudelo , Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia

Estudiante pregrado de medicina Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Colombia). yuban.cuartas@upb.edu.co. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3774-5623. CVLAC: https://scienti.minciencias.gov.co/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoCv.do?cod_rh=0001674407.

Published

2023-09-18

How to Cite

Martínez Sánchez, L. M., Duque Echeverri, L., Gil Ramos, J. M., & Cuartas Agudelo , Y. S. . (2023). Hypothermia: key concepts and approach. Salud Uninorte, 39(2), 660–675. https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.39.02.338.009

Issue

Section

Review Article

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