Clinical relevance of impaired consciousness in accidental hypothermia: A Japanese multicenter retrospective study

Abstract

Background This study aimed to investigate the association between level of impaired consciousness and severe hypothermia less than 28°C among accidental hypothermia. Severe accidental hypothermia (AH) is a life-threatening condition, and early identification can enable transport to an appropriate medical facility. The Swiss staging system has been used to classify patients with AH, but little is known regarding the association between the level of impaired consciousness and core body temperature (BT) in AH. This study aimed to clarify the association between level of impaired consciousness and core BT and determine whether the level of impaired consciousness could be used to predict severe hypothermia and in-hospital mortality among patients with AH. Results The study included 505 of 572 patients in the J-point registry. Relative to mildly impaired consciousness (Glasgow coma scale (GCS) 13–15), the adjusted odds ratios for severe hypothermia were moderate (GCS9-12) 3.26 (95% CI: 1.69–6.25) and severe (GCS < 9) 4.68 (95% CI: 2.40–9.14) for severely impaired consciousness. Relative to mildly impaired consciousness (GCS 13–15), the adjusted odds ratios for in-hospital mortality were moderate (GCS9-12) 1.65 (95% CI: 0.95–2.88) and severe (GCS < 9) 2.10 (95% CI: 1.17–3.78). Conclusions The level of impaired consciousness in patients with accidental hypothermia may predict severe hypothermia and in-hospital mortality.