The influence of hypothermia on the management of traumatic cardiac arrest

Abstract

Post-traumatic hypothermia often occurs as a direct consequence of haemorrhage and shock. Environmental exposure in austere environments may also contribute to its pathogenesis. In those casualties that present in cardiac arrest following injury, coexisting hypothermia may be the primary cause of the arrest, or a marker of the severity of shock. A case of a 25-year-old combat casualty is presented, illustrating some of the technical challenges faced by clinicians while resuscitating hypothermic trauma patients in cardiac arrest.