OBJECTIVE: Hypothermia can have a negative effect on the metabolic and hemostatic functions of patients with traumatic injuries. Multiple methods of rewarming are currently used in the prehospital arena, but little objective evidence for their effectiveness in this setting exists. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative effectiveness of traditional prehospital measures in maintaining thermostasis in trauma patients. METHODS:Participating helicopter and ground ambulance ALS units were prospectively randomized to provide either routine care only (passive or no warming) or routine care (passive warming) in conjunction with active warming (either reflective blankets, hot pack rewarming, or warmed IV fluids). A total of 174 trauma code patients, aged >14 years, who met inclusion criteria were prospectively enrolled by prehospital providers. Patients who received a non-assigned intervention or who had incomplete temperature data were dropped from the analysis. A total of 134 patients were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: Patients who received hot pack rewarming showed a mean increase in body temperature during transport (+1.36 degrees F/0.74 degrees C), while all other groups (no intervention, passive rewarming, reflective blankets, warmed IV fluids, warmed IV fluid plus reflective blanket) showed a mean decrease in temperature during transport [-0.34 to -0.61 degrees F (-0.2 to -0.4 degrees C); p<0.01]. In addition, the hot pack group was consistent, with every patient who received hot pack warming showing an increase in body temperature during transport, while in all other groups there were patients who had both increases and decreases in temperature. The intervention groups did not differ significantly on exposure to precipitation, transport unit temperature, total prehospital time, initial vital signs, amount of fluid administered, Injury Severity Score, or Glasgow Coma Score. CONCLUSIONS: Most traditional methods of maintaining trauma patient temperature during prehospital transport appear to be inadequate. Aggressive use of hot packs, a simple, inexpensive intervention to maintain thermostasis, deserves further study as a potential basic intervention for trauma patients.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE:Hypothermia can have a negative effect on the metabolic and hemostatic functions of patients with traumatic injuries. Multiple methods of rewarming are currently used in the prehospital arena, but little objective evidence for their effectiveness in this setting exists. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative effectiveness of traditional prehospital measures in maintaining thermostasis in traumapatients. METHODS: Participating helicopter and ground ambulance ALS units were prospectively randomized to provide either routine care only (passive or no warming) or routine care (passive warming) in conjunction with active warming (either reflective blankets, hot pack rewarming, or warmed IV fluids). A total of 174 trauma code patients, aged >14 years, who met inclusion criteria were prospectively enrolled by prehospital providers. Patients who received a non-assigned intervention or who had incomplete temperature data were dropped from the analysis. A total of 134 patients were included in the final analysis. RESULTS:Patients who received hot pack rewarming showed a mean increase in body temperature during transport (+1.36 degrees F/0.74 degrees C), while all other groups (no intervention, passive rewarming, reflective blankets, warmed IV fluids, warmed IV fluid plus reflective blanket) showed a mean decrease in temperature during transport [-0.34 to -0.61 degrees F (-0.2 to -0.4 degrees C); p<0.01]. In addition, the hot pack group was consistent, with every patient who received hot pack warming showing an increase in body temperature during transport, while in all other groups there were patients who had both increases and decreases in temperature. The intervention groups did not differ significantly on exposure to precipitation, transport unit temperature, total prehospital time, initial vital signs, amount of fluid administered, Injury Severity Score, or Glasgow Coma Score. CONCLUSIONS: Most traditional methods of maintaining traumapatient temperature during prehospital transport appear to be inadequate. Aggressive use of hot packs, a simple, inexpensive intervention to maintain thermostasis, deserves further study as a potential basic intervention for traumapatients.
Authors: Rolf Rossaint; Bertil Bouillon; Vladimir Cerny; Timothy J Coats; Jacques Duranteau; Enrique Fernández-Mondéjar; Beverley J Hunt; Radko Komadina; Giuseppe Nardi; Edmund Neugebauer; Yves Ozier; Louis Riddez; Arthur Schultz; Philip F Stahel; Jean-Louis Vincent; Donat R Spahn Journal: Crit Care Date: 2010-04-06 Impact factor: 9.097
Authors: Rolf Rossaint; Bertil Bouillon; Vladimir Cerny; Timothy J Coats; Jacques Duranteau; Enrique Fernández-Mondéjar; Daniela Filipescu; Beverley J Hunt; Radko Komadina; Giuseppe Nardi; Edmund A M Neugebauer; Yves Ozier; Louis Riddez; Arthur Schultz; Jean-Louis Vincent; Donat R Spahn Journal: Crit Care Date: 2016-04-12 Impact factor: 9.097
Authors: Donat R Spahn; Vladimir Cerny; Timothy J Coats; Jacques Duranteau; Enrique Fernández-Mondéjar; Giovanni Gordini; Philip F Stahel; Beverley J Hunt; Radko Komadina; Edmund Neugebauer; Yves Ozier; Louis Riddez; Arthur Schultz; Jean-Louis Vincent; Rolf Rossaint Journal: Crit Care Date: 2007 Impact factor: 9.097
Authors: Thomas Scheck; Alexander Kober; Peter Heigl; Edeltraud Schiller; Peter Buda; Gabor Szvitan; Frank Lieba; Klaus Hoerauf Journal: Wien Klin Wochenschr Date: 2003-04-30 Impact factor: 2.275