Hypothermia

             Hypothermia, defined as a core body temperature less than 95 °F(35°C) occurs
             when heat loss exceeds the body's heat production. (Ruffolo p.47) Thermal stability in
             humans depends on the body's ability to adapt to changes in internal and external
             temperatures. Heat is transferred throughout tissues and fat, and is released at a rate
             directly related to the temperature of the environment through radiation, conduction,
             Hypothermia is typically seen as a bad thing; however, various studies have been
             proving it to be very useful. Traumatic brain injury initiates several metabolic processes
             that can exacerbate the injury. There is evidence that hypothermia may limit some of these
             deleterious metabolic responses. In a randomized controlled trial researchers compared
             the effect of moderate hypothermia and normhypothermia in 82 patients with severe
             closed head injuries (score of 3 to 7 on the Glasgow Coma Scale) The patients assigned to
             hypothermia were cooled to 33 degrees C an average of 10 hours after injury, kept at 32
             degrees to 33 degrees C for 24 hours, and then re-warmed. A specialist in physical
             medicine and rehabilitation who was unaware of the treatment assignments evaluated the
             patients 3, 6, and 12 months later with the use of the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The
             demographic characteristics, causes, and severity of injury were similar in the hypothermia
             group and the normothermia groups. At 12 months 62% of the patients in the
             hypothermia group and 38% in the normothermia had good outcomes (moderate, mild, or
             no disabilities). The researchers concluded that "Treatment with moderate hypothermia for
             24hours in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and coma scores of 5 to 7 hastened
             neurological recovery and may have improved the outcome. (Marion et all)
             Two studies done (one in Australia and the other in Europe) showed the
             therapeutic v...

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