Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region
Objectives. To determine the incidence as well as contributing factors to fatal hypothermia. Study design. Retrospective, registry-based analysis. Methods. Cases of fatal hypothermia were identified in the database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine for the 4 northernmost counties of Sweden...
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Umeå universitet, Anestesiologi och intensivvård
2012
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-55587 https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 |
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-55587 2023-10-09T21:49:04+02:00 Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region Brändström, Helge Eriksson, Anders Giesbrecht, Gordon Ängquist, Karl-Axel Haney, Michael 2012 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-55587 https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 eng eng Umeå universitet, Anestesiologi och intensivvård Umeå universitet, Rättsmedicin Umeå universitet, Kirurgi University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Dep of Anesthesia International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 1239-9736, 2012, 71:0, s. 1-7 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-55587 doi:10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 PMID 22584518 Scopus 2-s2.0-84872934261 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Anestesi och intensivvård Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2012 ftumeauniv https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 2023-09-22T13:59:21Z Objectives. To determine the incidence as well as contributing factors to fatal hypothermia. Study design. Retrospective, registry-based analysis. Methods. Cases of fatal hypothermia were identified in the database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine for the 4 northernmost counties of Sweden and for the study period 1992-2008. Police reports, medical records and autopsy protocols were studied. Results. A total of 207 cases of fatal hypothermia were noted during the study period, giving an annual incidence of 1.35 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seventy-two percent occurred in rural areas, and 93% outdoors. Many (40%) were found within approximately 100 meters of a building. The majority (75%) occurred during the colder season (October to March). Some degree of paradoxical undressing was documented in 30%. Ethanol was detected in femoral vein blood in 43% of the victims. Contributing co-morbidity was common and included heart disease, earlier stroke, dementia, psychiatric disease, alcoholism, and recent trauma. Conclusions. With the identification of groups at high risk for fatal hypothermia, it should be possible to reduce risk through thoughtful interventions, particularly related to the highest risk subjects (rural, living alone, alcohol-imbibing, and psychiatric diagnosis-carrying) citizens. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Arctic International Journal of Circumpolar Health 71 1 18502 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Anestesi och intensivvård |
spellingShingle |
Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Anestesi och intensivvård Brändström, Helge Eriksson, Anders Giesbrecht, Gordon Ängquist, Karl-Axel Haney, Michael Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
topic_facet |
Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Anestesi och intensivvård |
description |
Objectives. To determine the incidence as well as contributing factors to fatal hypothermia. Study design. Retrospective, registry-based analysis. Methods. Cases of fatal hypothermia were identified in the database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine for the 4 northernmost counties of Sweden and for the study period 1992-2008. Police reports, medical records and autopsy protocols were studied. Results. A total of 207 cases of fatal hypothermia were noted during the study period, giving an annual incidence of 1.35 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seventy-two percent occurred in rural areas, and 93% outdoors. Many (40%) were found within approximately 100 meters of a building. The majority (75%) occurred during the colder season (October to March). Some degree of paradoxical undressing was documented in 30%. Ethanol was detected in femoral vein blood in 43% of the victims. Contributing co-morbidity was common and included heart disease, earlier stroke, dementia, psychiatric disease, alcoholism, and recent trauma. Conclusions. With the identification of groups at high risk for fatal hypothermia, it should be possible to reduce risk through thoughtful interventions, particularly related to the highest risk subjects (rural, living alone, alcohol-imbibing, and psychiatric diagnosis-carrying) citizens. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brändström, Helge Eriksson, Anders Giesbrecht, Gordon Ängquist, Karl-Axel Haney, Michael |
author_facet |
Brändström, Helge Eriksson, Anders Giesbrecht, Gordon Ängquist, Karl-Axel Haney, Michael |
author_sort |
Brändström, Helge |
title |
Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
title_short |
Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
title_full |
Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
title_fullStr |
Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
title_sort |
fatal hypothermia : an analysis from a sub-arctic region |
publisher |
Umeå universitet, Anestesiologi och intensivvård |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-55587 https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar Health International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
op_relation |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 1239-9736, 2012, 71:0, s. 1-7 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-55587 doi:10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 PMID 22584518 Scopus 2-s2.0-84872934261 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.18502 |
container_title |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
container_volume |
71 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
18502 |
_version_ |
1779312103054639104 |