Cure of severe hypothermia due to loss of consciousness after drug intoxication of inhaled hydrocarbons, Case 1

Yang,  Kwan Mo; Kwon,  Tae Wook; Kim,  Hyung Kook; Park,  Kyu Nam; Kim,  Se Kyeung

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 8(2); 1997 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 1997;8(2): 283-289.

Cure of severe hypothermia due to loss of consciousness after drug intoxication of inhaled hydrocarbons, Case 1

Kwan Mo Yang, Tae Wook Kwon, Hyung Kook Kim, Kyu Nam Park, Se Kyeung Kim

ABSTRACT

A 19-year-old man had a good neurologic recovery from a severe hypothermia(19 degrees C) and a prolonged coma following active infernal rewarming. From inhaling hydrocarbons, he was left unconscious on the cold floor for 24 hours. As soon as the patient was brought into the emergency medical center, he was early evaluated arid treated aggressively. ECG showed Osborn(J) wave on all leads. The temperature o( patient was increased by 2-3 degrees C per hour through active external rewarming (by heating blankets and warm bag) and active infernal rewarming (by airway rewarming, warmed IV fluids, gastrointestinal tract irrigation, and bladder irrigation). The temperature reached 36 degrees C after 6 hours. Active infernal rewarming provides rapid core rewarming with the additional benefit of circulatory support during the period of cardiac instability.