• Hans Husum, Tone Olsen, Mudhafar Murad, Yang Van Heng, Torben Wisborg, and Mads Gilbert.
• Tromsoe Mine Victim Resource Center (TMC), PO Box 80, N-9038 University Hospital of Northern Norway. hhusum@c2i.net
• Prehosp Disaster Med. 2002 Jan 1;17(1):23-6.

IntroductionPost-injury hypothermia is a risk predictor in trauma patients whose physiology is deranged. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of simple, in-field, hypothermia prevention to victims of penetrating trauma during long prehospital evacuations.MethodsA total of 170 consecutively injured landmine victims were included in a prospective, clinical study in Northern Iraq and Cambodia. Thirty patients were provided with systematic prehospital hypothermia prevention, and for 140 patients, no preventive measures were provided.ResultsThe mean value for the time from injury to hospital admission was 6.6 hours (range: 0.2-72). The incidence of hypothermia (oral temperature < 36 degrees C) before prevention/rewarming was 21% (95% confidence interval: 15% to 28%). The Prevention Group had a statistically significant lower rate of hypothermia on hospital admission compared to the control group (95% confidence interval for difference: 6% to 24%).ConclusionSimple, preventive, in-field measures help to prevent hypothermia during protracted evacuation, and should be part of the trauma care protocol in rural rescue systems.

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