BACKGROUND: Hypothermia is defined as a core temperature of less than 35 degrees C. The decision to resuscitate a hypothermic patient can be difficult, as consideration must be given to whether the patient died before the cooling process. The modality for rewarming must also be considered. CASE REPORT: A severely hypothermic 54-year-old man with a core temperature of 21 degrees C was successfully rewarmed using cardiopulmonary bypass via the femoro-femoral route. The patient made a full neurological recovery. CONCLUSION: Cardiopulmonary bypass provides excellent circulatory support for profound hypothermia and allows rapid core rewarming. The femoro-femoral approach is the preferred method for this scenario.
BACKGROUND:Hypothermia is defined as a core temperature of less than 35 degrees C. The decision to resuscitate a hypothermicpatient can be difficult, as consideration must be given to whether the patient died before the cooling process. The modality for rewarming must also be considered. CASE REPORT: A severely hypothermic 54-year-old man with a core temperature of 21 degrees C was successfully rewarmed using cardiopulmonary bypass via the femoro-femoral route. The patient made a full neurological recovery. CONCLUSION: Cardiopulmonary bypass provides excellent circulatory support for profound hypothermia and allows rapid core rewarming. The femoro-femoral approach is the preferred method for this scenario.
Authors: Simone S Cooper; Thomas J Papadimos; Jeffery A Campbell; Gregory J Cerilli; Shuab Omer; Anthony L Braida; Ali M Hassan Journal: J Med Case Rep Date: 2008-05-09