Accidental Hypothermia: An Evidence-Based Approach

Upon completion of this article, you should be able to: 1. Demonstrate the ways in which cold exposure impacts human physiology. 2. Identify ways in which hypothermic patients must be treated differently than normothermic patients with similar findings on initial presentation, with special regard to the medical code situation. 3. Be able to rapidly identify and work up underlying abnormalities contributing to or complicating the case in the hypothermic patient. 4. Create a systematic strategy for treating and rewarming the hypothermic patient based on core temperature and degree of physical abnormalities.