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Three part question
In [accidental severe hypothermia (less than or equal to 30 degrees celcius) induced ventricular fibrillation in adults] is [defibrillation][effective at restoring a sinus rhythm]?
Clinical scenario
A 50-year-old man is found collapsed in the snow on a very cold winter's night. He is admitted to hospital unconscious with adjuvant cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a low reading rectal thermometer measures his core temperature to be 26°C. He is in ventricular fibrillation. Should an attempt at defibrillation be made at this temperature or should he be re-warmed first and then defibrillated?
Search strategy
Medline 1966-06 using Ovid interface. [AED$ or automated external defibrillat$ or defibrillat$ or VF or ventricular fibrillati$ or CPR or cardiopulmonary resus$ or ALS or advanced life support] and [severe hypothermia or hypothermi$]mp. [mp = title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word]. Limited to humans and English language. Cochrane Library Issue 3 2006: hypothermia [title, abstract or keywords] and defibrillation [title, abstract or Keywords] or ventricular fibrillation [title, abstract or keywords].
Search outcome
A total of 385 papers initially found, of which 17 were relevant.
Comment(s)
The only published data on this...