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IntroductionHypothermia is common in trauma victims and is associated with an increase in mortality. Its causes are not well understood. Our objective was to identify the factors influencing the onset of hypothermia during pre-hospital care of trauma victims.MethodsThis was a multicenter, prospective, open, observational study in a pre-hospital setting.The subjects were trauma victims, over 18 years old, receiving care from emergency medical services (EMS) and transported to hospital in a medically staffed mobile unit.Study variables included: demographics and morphological traits, nature and circumstances of the accident, victim's presentation (trapped, seated or lying down, on the ground, unclothed, wet or covered by a blanket), environmental conditions (wind, rain, ground temperature and air temperature on site and in the mobile unit), clinical factors, Revised Trauma Score (RTS), tympanic temperature, care provided (including warming, drugs administered, infusion fluid temperature and volume), and EMS and hospital arrival times.ResultsA total of 448 patients were included. Hypothermia (<35°C) on hospital arrival was present in 64/448 patients (14%). Significant factors associated with the absence of hypothermia in a multivariate analysis were no intubation: Odds Ratio: 4.23 (95% confidence interval 1.62 to 1.02); RTS: 1.68 (1.29 to 2.20); mobile unit temperature: 1.20 (1.04 to 1.38); infusion fluid temperature: 1.17 (1.05 to 1.30); patient not unclothed: 0.40 (0.18 to 0.90); and no head injury: 0.36 (0.16 to 0.83).ConclusionsThe key risk factor for the onset of hypothermia was the severity of injury but environmental conditions and the medical care provided by EMS were also significant factors. Changes in practice could help reduce the impact of factors such as infusion fluid temperature and mobile unit temperature.

Antidotal therapy is underused in patients with an elevated digitalis concentration especially in patients with chronic digitalis exposure. These patients in our series presented a higher mortality rate than patients with acute poisoning. Although they were older and tended to have a history of cardiac disease, they did not differ from patients with acute poisoning with regard to the main severity criteria and prognostic factors. The use of identical criteria for antidotal treatment after acute and chronic poisoning should help optimize outcomes. Fab fragment availability is insufficient in France but ranks only second after type of poisoning (acute or chronic) in the multivariate association with Fab treatment.