Rapid Rewarming of Hypothermic Patient Using Arctic Sun Device

• Published in: Journal of Intensive Care Medicine
• Main Authors: Cocchi, Michael N., Giberson, Brandon, Donnino, Michael W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2011
• Subjects: Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine; Arctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0885066610394423; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0885066610394423; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0885066610394423

There are multiple commercially made devices currently available for inducing hypothermia in patients with postcardiac arrest, but whether these devices can be used successfully for rewarming patients suffering from accidental hypothermia remains largely unexplored. We describe a case in which a patient with severe accidental hypothermia secondary to environmental exposure was successfully, safely, and rapidly warmed using a temperature regulation device traditionally used for therapeutic hypothermia (TH) in patients with postcardiac arrest. Clinicians may wish to consider the use of these devices when attempting to warm patients suffering from severe environmental hypothermia.