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Hypothermia
Douglas M. Smith, Owner
NREMT-P
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Hypothermia is common in trauma patients,
geriatric patients, pediatric patients, burn patients, and patients exposed to
moderate and hostile environments.
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20% of all trauma patients become
hypothermic. The 2 major causes include exposure to the environments, and
/ or infusion of below normal body temperature iv fluids.
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Geriatric patients who are sick or injured
often become hypothermic due to the same reasons listed above, plus a slower
metabolism.
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Pediatric patients have a relatively fast
metabolism, but a small body mass, and are susceptible to exposure to moderate,
to inclement weather conditions,
and cold iv infusions.
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Burn patients require rapid cooling of the
burn area, and may require large infusions of iv fluids due to plasma loss
through the burn areas of the body. They are at high risk for a lowered
body core temperature.
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Patients exposed to moderate temperatures
may easily develop hypothermia. Even inside a home in the summer, an
elderly patient with a hip fracture, lying on a tile floor can rapidly become
hypothermic.
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Immersion in to a cold body of water leads
to very rapid loss of body temperature. Heat travels to cold, & the body
is in direct contact with a circumferential heat sink. Hypothermia is a
high hazard for these patients.
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Patients without hypothermia may develop
mild, to moderate hypothermia from a below normal body temperature infusion of
iv fluids.
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Medications are 10% less effective with
each degree Fahrenheit of body core temperature drop in medical patients.
When a sick or injured patient as
described above becomes hypothermic, the body will divert energy to attempt
thermoregulation, further compromising the patient, and possibly worsening the
outcome of the attempted patient care rendered.
In summary,
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The infusion of warmed iv fluids is good
patient care. Improved outcomes can be expected on every sort of patient
that has an opportunity to survive.
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To risk patient outcomes by infusions of
below normal body temperature fluid, is not in the best interest of the
patient, or the care providing agency.
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There are no absolute contraindications
for an infusion of normal body temperature iv fluids in the pre-hospital arena.
The Smithworks Company is owned and
operated by a firefighter paramedic. It is our mission to build the finest
equipment specific to promoting improved patient outcomes as it relates to the
infusion of warm iv fluids.
In our near decade of operation, having
built thousands of iv fluid warmers, we have assisted agencies like yours
deliver hundreds of thousands of warmed iv fluids, with many reports of
favorable patient outcomes, as well as reports of lives saved.
We will continue to innovate, and improve
our product line, and pledge our efforts to nothing less than excellence.
Douglas M. Smith, Owner of The Smithworks
Company
The
Smithworks Company
P.O.
Box 347
Clarkston, WA 99403
TOLL FREE:
800-576-3454
Fax: (509) 758-5942
E-mail: sales@iv-warmer.com
Copyright
© 2001 [The Smithworks Company]. All rights reserved.
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website
please contact webmaster@iv-warmer.com
Revised:
February 07, 2007
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