TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Accidental cold-related injury leading to hospitalization in northern Sweden: an eight-year retrospective analysis
JO  - Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine
A1  - Brändström, Helge
A1  - Johansson, Göran
A1  - Giesbrecht, Gordon G.
A1  - Angquist, Karl-Axel
A1  - Haney, Michael F.
SP  - 6
EP  - 6
VL  - 22
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: Cold injuries are rare but important causes of hospitalization. We aimed to identify the magnitude of cold injury hospitalization, and assess causes, associated factors and treatment routines in a subarctic region. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis of hospital records from the 4 northernmost counties in Sweden, cases from 2000-2007 were identified from the hospital registry by diagnosis codes for accidental hypothermia, frostbite, and cold-water drowning. Results were analyzed for pre-hospital site events, clinical events in-hospital, and complications observed with mild (temperature 34.9 - 32[degree sign]C), moderate (31.9 - 28[degree sign]C) and severe (<28[degree sign]C), hypothermia as well as for frostbite and cold-water drowning. RESULTS: From the 362 cases, average annual incidences for hypothermia, frostbite, and cold-water drowning were estimated to be 3.4/100 000, 1.5/100 000, and 0.8/100 000 inhabitants, respectively. Annual frequencies for hypothermia hospitalizations increased by approximately 3 cases/year during the study period. Twenty percent of the hypothermia cases were mild, 40% moderate, and 24% severe. For 12 percent, the lowest documented core temperature was 35 [degree sign]C or higher, for 4 per cent there was no temperature documented. Body core temperature was seldom measured in pre-hospital locations. Of 362 cold injury admissions, 17 (5%) died in hospital related to their injuries. Associated co-factors and co-morbidities included ethanol consumption, dementia, and psychiatric diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of accidental hypothermia seems to be increasing in this studied sub-arctic region. Likely associated factors are recognized (ethanol intake, dementia, and psychiatric diagnosis).<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1757-7241
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1757-7241-22-6
ID  - ref1
ER  -