Severe Accidental Hypothermia in A Trauma Patient in A Tropical City

Abstract

Introduction: Severe accidental hypothermia in trauma patients is rarely encountered in tropical areas. However, unnoticed hypothermia may lead to deleterious consequences and even sudden death. Case report: We report the case of a middle-aged patient who sustained hemorrhagic shock secondary to a traffic accidentinduced severe intraabdominal injury, followed by prolonged exposure to a cold and wet environment. Thereafter, the patient was sedated and paralyzed and was administered large infusion volumes of fluid and blood components. In the emergency department, profound hypothermia could not be detected using an infrared forehead thermometer. Subsequently, the patient had a sudden cardiac arrest during the emergency surgery. Conclusion: This case report highlights that even in a tropical city, fatal severe hypothermia may occur in severe trauma patients. Therefore, to avoid accidental hypothermia, emergency physicians and trauma surgeons should use invasive temperature monitoring, and aggressive rewarming should be performed for correcting hypothermia in severe trauma patients.