Accidental hypothermia: a review of 62 cases.

A retrospective review of all patients seen in an urban city-county emergency department over a 32-month period with a primary or associated diagnosis of hypothermia was performed using the emergency department encounter form and the inpatient chart of 62 cases (59 patients) with core temperatures of 35 C (95 F) or below. With this relatively large population, a general conclusion was reached about the presentation and natural history of this interesting entity. This permitted a defensible treatment regimen which is currently employed a this institution and which is offered for institutions in similar settings. The variance in clinical signs, laboratory values, electrocardiographic findings and complications encountered in this study are detailed against the background of a review of the findings of the current literature.