Accidental Hypothermia

Hypothermia is defined as an unintentional decrease of core body temperature below 35 degrees C. In this article we discuss pathophysiology, clinical aspects and treatment of hypothermic patients. The most important treatment of hypothermia is the identification of the most appropriate method of rewarming. We report a case of cardiac arrest secondary to severe accidental hypothermia, that occured in a young man, do to prolonged exposure to low temperature in river water, successfully treated with extracorporeal blood warming.