Citation

Darocha T, Kosiński S, Jarosz A, Gałązkowski R, Sadowski J, Drwiła R. Eur. J. Emerg. Med. 2014; 22(4): 288-291.

Affiliation

aDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, John Paul II Hospital bDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery & Transplantology, Institute of Cardiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Hospital, Cracow cPolish Medical Air Rescue dDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Pulmonary Hospital, Tatra Mountains Rescue Team, Zakopane eDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000213

PMID

25304125

Abstract

Hypothermic patients may be rewarmed using passive or active techniques. In case of severe accidental hypothermia (temperature<28°C) and stage III/IV according to the Swiss Staging System, standard methods might not be effective and aggressive treatment is needed. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has proved to be both effective and safe in such cases. The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, John Paul II Hospital, Cracow, Poland, established the Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center, which provides 24 h on-call to consult and accept patients who need ECMO implantation for profound hypothermia rewarming. Our center is so far the only one in Poland and can accept patients from south-east Poland. Most importantly, it collaborates with all prehospital medical services, namely, with 115 Ambulances, Polish Medical Air Rescue, Mountain Rescue Services, and all 28 Emergency Departments in the area. Severe Accidental Hypothermia Center is a solution for advanced treatment of patients with accidental hypothermia requiring ECMO implantation.

Language: en