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Ice Water Immersion – Practicalities for Monitoring Hyperthermic Patients in the Prehospital Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2019

Lachlan Holbery-Morgan ,
James Carew ,
Elyssia Bourke  and
Ned Douglas Open the ORCID record for Ned Douglas [Opens in a new window]
Lachlan Holbery-Morgan
Affiliation:
Event Medical Services Australia, Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
James Carew
Affiliation:
Event Medical Services Australia, Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
Elyssia Bourke
Affiliation:
Event Medical Services Australia, Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
Ned Douglas*
Affiliation:
Event Medical Services Australia, Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
*
Correspondence: Ned Douglas, MBBS, BMedSci Event Medical Services Australia PO Box 991 Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia, 3039 E-mail: ndouglas@emsa.com.au
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Abstract

Immersion of patients in a body bag filled with ice and water is recommended as prehospital management of severe hyperthermia. Experienced paramedics have raised a number of concerns about the use of this technique; particularly, whether cardiac monitoring equipment would remain functional once immersed. This test showed that monitoring equipment does remain functional and provides advice about safety considerations. The test should reassure practitioners that such an approach is feasible.

Keywords

ambulancecoolinghyperthermiaprehospital
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 6 , December 2019 , pp. 675 - 676
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019 

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References

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