Why IV Warmers?
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is common in trauma patients, geriatric patients, pediatric patients, burn patients and patients exposed to moderate and hostile environments. Two-thirds (66%) of major trauma’s revealed a state of hypothermia upon admittance into the emergency department. The 2 major causes include, exposure to their environment and/or an infusion of iv fluids below normal body temperature.
Geriatric patients who are sick or injured often become hypothermic due to the same reasons, in addition to having a slower metabolism. Pediatric patients have a relatively fast metabolism but a small body mass and are susceptible to exposure to moderate or inclement weather conditions and cold iv infusions. Burn patients require rapid cooling to the affected area and may require large infusions of iv fluids; due to plasma loss. They are at high risk for a lowered body core temperature.
Patients exposed to moderate temperatures may easily develop hypothermia. Even inside a home in the summer, an elderly patient with a hip fracture, lying on a tile floor, can rapidly become hypothermic. Immersion into a cold body of water leads to a very rapid loss of body temperature. Heat travels to cold and the body is in direct contact with a circumferential heat sink.
Medications are 10% less effective with each degree Fahrenheit the bodies core temperature drops. When a sick or injured patient as described above becomes hypothermic, the body will divert energy to attempt thermoregulation; further compromising the patient and possibly worsening the outcome of the attempted patient care rendered.
Douglas M. Smith, NREMT-P
Please reference the links below for more information and further studies!
Hypothermia in Trauma – PMC (nih.gov)
Accidental Hypothermia: 2021 Update – PMC (nih.gov)
5 Myths about Hypothermia in Trauma — Trauma Monkeys