Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services
Abstract Background Accidental hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and poses a significant challenge for both professional and volunteer rescue services in prehospital settings. This study investigated the methods and equipment available to treat patients with cold stres...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-024-01302-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850100574743166976 |
|---|---|
| author | Tea Wick Barsten Emilie Sunde Øyvind Thomassen Sigurd Mydske |
| author_facet | Tea Wick Barsten Emilie Sunde Øyvind Thomassen Sigurd Mydske |
| author_sort | Tea Wick Barsten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Accidental hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and poses a significant challenge for both professional and volunteer rescue services in prehospital settings. This study investigated the methods and equipment available to treat patients with cold stress or accidental hypothermia before reaching hospital in Norway. Methods We surveyed 156 respondents representing 708 units from both the professional and volunteer Norwegian prehospital chain of care between 2023 and 2024. Professional services included national ground ambulances, boat ambulances, national fixed wing and helicopter air ambulance services, search and rescue helicopter services, and urban search and rescue services. Volunteer services included Norwegian People’s Aid and the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps. The survey queried the availability of active warming equipment, passive insulation materials, thermometers for detecting hypothermia, and preferred sites for temperature measurements. The study also investigated whether there has been a development in available equipment compared to a similar study conducted in 2013. Results The survey achieved a response rate of 70.5%. Chemical heat pads were the most frequently used type of equipment for active external warming and were the only equipment used by volunteer rescue services. All services possessed equipment for passive external warming, with duvets, space blankets and wool- or cotton blankets being the most commonly available. Thermometers for detecting hypothermia were found in 86.3% of professional rescue services and 15% of volunteer units. Almost all respondents reported consistent equipment setups year-round. Conclusion All Norwegian prehospital services, both professional and volunteer, reported having equipment available for active and passive external warming. Thermometers for detecting hypothermia were reported by all professional services. The most notable change in the equipment available to treat patients with prehospital cold stress and accidental hypothermia in Norway was the increased availability of active external rewarming equipment in 2024 compared with that in 2013. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-004386ca71694d65a8043debd90ce172 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1757-7241 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-004386ca71694d65a8043debd90ce1722025-08-20T02:40:15ZengBMCScandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine1757-72412024-12-013211910.1186/s13049-024-01302-1Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital servicesTea Wick Barsten0Emilie Sunde1Øyvind Thomassen2Sigurd Mydske3Mountain Medicine Research Group, The Norwegian Air Ambulance FoundationMountain Medicine Research Group, The Norwegian Air Ambulance FoundationMountain Medicine Research Group, The Norwegian Air Ambulance FoundationMountain Medicine Research Group, The Norwegian Air Ambulance FoundationAbstract Background Accidental hypothermia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and poses a significant challenge for both professional and volunteer rescue services in prehospital settings. This study investigated the methods and equipment available to treat patients with cold stress or accidental hypothermia before reaching hospital in Norway. Methods We surveyed 156 respondents representing 708 units from both the professional and volunteer Norwegian prehospital chain of care between 2023 and 2024. Professional services included national ground ambulances, boat ambulances, national fixed wing and helicopter air ambulance services, search and rescue helicopter services, and urban search and rescue services. Volunteer services included Norwegian People’s Aid and the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps. The survey queried the availability of active warming equipment, passive insulation materials, thermometers for detecting hypothermia, and preferred sites for temperature measurements. The study also investigated whether there has been a development in available equipment compared to a similar study conducted in 2013. Results The survey achieved a response rate of 70.5%. Chemical heat pads were the most frequently used type of equipment for active external warming and were the only equipment used by volunteer rescue services. All services possessed equipment for passive external warming, with duvets, space blankets and wool- or cotton blankets being the most commonly available. Thermometers for detecting hypothermia were found in 86.3% of professional rescue services and 15% of volunteer units. Almost all respondents reported consistent equipment setups year-round. Conclusion All Norwegian prehospital services, both professional and volunteer, reported having equipment available for active and passive external warming. Thermometers for detecting hypothermia were reported by all professional services. The most notable change in the equipment available to treat patients with prehospital cold stress and accidental hypothermia in Norway was the increased availability of active external rewarming equipment in 2024 compared with that in 2013.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-024-01302-1Accidental hypothermiaCold stressPrehospitalEmergency medicineMountain medicineActive external rewarming |
| spellingShingle | Tea Wick Barsten Emilie Sunde Øyvind Thomassen Sigurd Mydske Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Accidental hypothermia Cold stress Prehospital Emergency medicine Mountain medicine Active external rewarming |
| title | Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services |
| title_full | Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services |
| title_fullStr | Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services |
| title_short | Methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia: a survey of Norwegian prehospital services |
| title_sort | methods and equipment available for prehospital treatment of accidental hypothermia a survey of norwegian prehospital services |
| topic | Accidental hypothermia Cold stress Prehospital Emergency medicine Mountain medicine Active external rewarming |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-024-01302-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT teawickbarsten methodsandequipmentavailableforprehospitaltreatmentofaccidentalhypothermiaasurveyofnorwegianprehospitalservices AT emiliesunde methodsandequipmentavailableforprehospitaltreatmentofaccidentalhypothermiaasurveyofnorwegianprehospitalservices AT øyvindthomassen methodsandequipmentavailableforprehospitaltreatmentofaccidentalhypothermiaasurveyofnorwegianprehospitalservices AT sigurdmydske methodsandequipmentavailableforprehospitaltreatmentofaccidentalhypothermiaasurveyofnorwegianprehospitalservices |