When do you initiate hypothermia protocol?

In general:

  1. The medical team may start the hypothermia within 4 to 6 hours after the cardiac arrest.
  2. A healthcare provider will give you medicine to help you relax (sedative).
  3. Your heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs will be closely watched.

How do you rewarm a hypothermic patient?

A warmed intravenous solution of salt water may be put into a vein to help warm the blood. Airway rewarming. The use of humidified oxygen administered with a mask or nasal tube can warm the airways and help raise the temperature of the body.

What is the highest priority in the management of a patient with hypothermia?

Medical Management The management and treatment of accidental hypothermia revolves around prevention of further heat loss and initiation or rewarming but also requires evaluation and support/intervention of airway, breathing, and circulation. This may involve patent rescue with the first priority being rescuer safety.

Why should we avoid rewarming a victim of hypothermia too quickly?

Warming the extremities first can cause shock. It can also drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure. DO NOT warm the victim too fast. Rapid warming may cause heart arrhythmias.

How fast can you rewarm a hypothermic patient?

The recommended rate of rewarming varies between 0.5 and 2°C/hour.

How do hospitals treat hypothermia?

In cases of advanced hypothermia, hospital treatment is required to rewarm the core temperature. Hypothermia treatment may include warmed IV fluids, heated and humidified oxygen, peritoneal lavage (internal “washing” of the abdominal cavity), and other measures.

What is the success rate of therapeutic hypothermia?

Compared with untreated patients, those treated with therapeutic hypothermia had significantly lower rates of in-hospital survival (29.2% vs 27.4%, respectively), as well as lower rates of survival to discharge with favorable neurological status.