Citation

Romlin BS, Winberg H, Janson M, Nilsson B, Björk K, Jeppsson A, Drake G, Claesson A. Crit. Care Med. 2015; 43(11): e521-5.

Affiliation

1Department of Pediatric Anesthesia and Intensive Care, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. 2Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. 3Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. 4Department of Pediatrics, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. 5Department of Medicine, Center for Resuscitation Science, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/CCM.0000000000001283

PMID

26317568

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report outcome and intensive care strategy in a 7-year-old girl with accidental profound hypothermia and drowning. DATA SOURCES AND EXTRACTION: Patient records and interviews with search-and-rescue personnel. STUDY SELECTION: Case report. DATA SYNTHESIS: The girl was rescued after an estimated submersion time of at least 83 minutes in icy sea water. She presented with cardiac arrest, ice in her upper airways, a first-documented nasopharyngeal temperature of 13.8°C, and a serum potassium of 11.3 mmol/L. The patient was slowly rewarmed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and made an exceptional recovery after intensive care and a long rehabilitation time.

CONCLUSION: Excellent outcome is possible in children with body temperature and serum potassium reaching the far limits of previously reported human survival and prolonged submersion time.

Language: en