Vital Signs in Accidental Hypothermia.

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Version: Final published version
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Serval ID
serval:BIB_F162D7C6A778
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Vital Signs in Accidental Hypothermia.
Journal
High altitude medicine & biology
Author(s)
Pasquier M., Cools E., Zafren K., Carron P.N., Frochaux V., Rousson V.
ISSN
1557-8682 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1527-0297
Publication state
Published
Issued date
06/2021
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
22
Number
2
Pages
142-147
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Pasquier, Mathieu, Evelien Cools, Ken Zafren, Pierre-Nicolas Carron, Vincent Frochaux, and Valentin Rousson. Vital signs in accidental hypothermia. High Alt Med Biol. 22: 142-147, 2021. Background: Clinical indicators are used to stage hypothermia and to guide management of hypothermic patients. We sought to better characterize the influence of hypothermia on vital signs, including level of consciousness, by studying cases of patients suffering from accidental hypothermia. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively included patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the hospital with a core temperature below 35°C. We identified the cases from a literature review and from a retrospective case series of hypothermic patients admitted to the hospital between 1994 and 2016. Patients who experienced cardiac arrest, as well as those with potential confounders such as concomitant diseases or intoxications, were excluded. Relationships between core temperature and heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and level of consciousness were explored via correlations and regression. Results: Of the 305 cases reviewed, 216 met the criteria for inclusion. The mean temperature was 29.7°C ± 4.2°C (range 19.3°C-34.9°C). The relationships between temperature and each of the four vital signs were generally linear and significantly positive, with Spearman correlations for respiratory rate, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 0.29 (p = 0.024), 0.44 (p < 0.001), 0.47 (p < 0.001), and 0.78 (p < 0.001), respectively. Based on linear regression, the mean decrease of a vital sign associated with a 1°C decrease of temperature was estimated to be 0.50 minute <sup>-1</sup> for respiratory rate, 2.54 minutes <sup>-1</sup> for heart rate, 4.36 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, and 0.88 for GCS. Conclusions: There is a significant positive correlation between core temperature and heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and GCS. The relationship between vital signs and temperature is generally linear. This knowledge might help clinicians make appropriate decisions when determining whether the clinical condition of a patient should be attributed to hypothermia. This could enhance clinical care and help to guide future research.
Keywords
Glasgow Coma Score, blood pressure, core temperature, emergency medicine, heart rate, hypothermia, respiratory rate
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
25/02/2021 15:50
Last modification date
11/10/2023 6:02
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