THE ROLE OF INHALATION REWARMING IN THE EARLY MANAGEMENT OF HYPOTHERMIA

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of inhalation rewarming in ea rly resuscitative efforts for hypothermic victims. Data Sources: Searc h of MEDLINE and manual retrieval using the terms hypothermia, resusci tation, inhalation and treatment. All articles and papers published wi thin the last 5 years were searched. Earlier literature was also inclu ded if considered vital to documenting the scientific basis and ration ale for using airway rewarming. Study Selection: Letters to the editor , review articles, case reports and original research were included in this review. Material was considered for inclusion if it contributed generally to the understanding of the role of inhalation rewarming in the stabilization or treatment of accidental hypothermia. Results: The literature reported many instances in which inhalation rewarming appe ared to contribute to a successful outcome during hypothermic resuscit ative efforts. The maximum contribution that inhalation rewarming prov ides to overall core rewarming does not appear to endorse it as a sole method of core rewarming. Conclusions: The safety and efficacy of inh alation rewarming suggest that it is a viable adjunct of treatment dur ing hypothermic resuscitation. Its routine use may be more appropriate for a field rescue situation where more advanced rewarming modalities may not be available or practicable. Also, its primary value may be t o minimize further core temperature loss during early management of ac cidental hypothermia. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All right s reserved.