PREHOSPITAL CARE
Prehospital temperature control
Department of Emergency Medical Care and Rescue, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
Correspondence to:
Mr R Owen, National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Robert.owen@manchester.ac.uk
Accepted 11 February 2008
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
We have increasingly noted that patients with traumatic injuries attended by the paramedic response unit of the Durban University of Technology, South Africa are hypothermic. Daytime winter temperatures in Kwa-Zulu Natal remain warm, but nightly coastal temperatures drop to 4°C and as low as freezing inland.
An elderly man had been involved in a motor vehicle accident while being transferred to hospital by his family following an abdominal gunshot wound. Examination revealed: A, airway clear; B, respiratory rate 22/min; C, pulse >100/min and systolic BP 90 mm Hg; D, Glasgow Coma Score 15; E, temperature 34.1°C (tympanic). We minimised further exposure by positioning the response unit to act as a wind break and wrapping the patient in a space blanket while active rewarming was instigated with the application of a heating pad (DM EMG Diemme International, Italy). Warmed intravenous fluids were commenced at a keep open rate (as a radial
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Relevant Article
- Primary survey
- Jonathan Wyatt
Emerg. Med. J. 2008 25: 319.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
