Hypothermia and severe trauma

Abstract

During the period from May 1992 until April 1993, 108 patients were admitted to Liverpool Hospital with Injury Severity Scores (ISS) > 15. Temperatures had been recorded in 100. Of these, 17 had a core temperature of less than 35 degrees C documented within 24 h of arrival. The hypothermic group presented with more severe injuries and contained a disproportionate number of females. Hypothermia was found to be more common in the winter months, but it was not associated with a delay in reaching hospital from the time of injury. When injuries were ranked by ISS, both hypothermic and normothermic patients were equally likely to have received a blood transfusion; however, the mean number of units of packed cells transfused was greater for the hypothermic group with ISS < 41 than for the similarly injured normothermic group. Two patients in the hypothermic group had sustained burns, and both of these were hypothermic on arrival. All of the hypothermic patients who required surgery developed hypothermia in the operating theatre.