Rewarming shock

Rewarming shock (also known as rewarming collapse) has been described as a drop in blood pressure following the warming of a person who is very cold.[1] The real cause of this rewarming shock is unknown.[1]

There was a theoretical concern that external rewarming rather than internal rewarming may increase the risk.[2] These concerns were partly believed to be due to afterdrop, a situation detected during laboratory experiments where there is a continued decrease in core temperature after rewarming has been started.[2] Recent studies have not supported these concerns, and problems are not found with active external rewarming.[2][3]

  1. ^ a b Tveita, T. (2000-10-01). "Rewarming from hypothermia. Newer aspects on the pathophysiology of rewarming shock". International Journal of Circumpolar Health. 59 (3–4): 260–266. ISSN 1239-9736. PMID 11209678.
  2. ^ a b c Brown, DJ; Brugger, H; Boyd, J; Paal, P (Nov 15, 2012). "Accidental hypothermia". The New England Journal of Medicine. 367 (20): 1930–8. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1114208. PMID 23150960.
  3. ^ ECC Committee, Subcommittees and Task Forces of the American Heart Association (December 2005). "2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care". Circulation. 112 (24 Suppl): IV–136. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.166550. PMID 16314375.