Linked Life Data

2402043

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/2402043

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
14
pubmed:dateCreated
1990-10-26
pubmed:abstractText
When hypothermic patients appear to be dead, the decision to resuscitate may be difficult due to lack of reliable criteria of death. To discover useful prognostic indicators, we reviewed the hospital charts of nine hypothermic victims of snow avalanches (group A: median value of rectal temperature, 29.6 degrees C; range, less than 12 degrees C to 34 degrees C) and of 15 patients with hypothermia following acute drug intoxication and/or cold exposure (group B: 28.8 degrees C; range, 25.5 degrees C to 32 degrees C. In group A, plasma potassium level on admission was extremely high (14.5 mmol/L; range, 6.8 to 24.5 mmol/L) compared with that obtained in group B (3.5 mmol/L; range, 2.7 to 5.3 mmol/L). All patients in group A were in cardiorespiratory arrest. None could be successfully resuscitated despite effective rewarming by cardiopulmonary bypass or peritoneal lavage. In contrast, all of the patients in group B recovered from hypothermia, including two in cardiorespiratory arrest. Thus, extreme hyperkalemia during acute hypothermia appears to be a reliable marker of death. It might be used to select those patients in whom heroic resuscitation efforts can be useful.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0098-7484
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
10
pubmed:volume
264
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1842-5
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-7
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1990
pubmed:articleTitle
Hyperkalemia. A prognostic factor during acute severe hypothermia.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article