Hypothermia : therapeutic management

Diagnosis

Hypothermia, if rectal temperature: 

• 0 to 7 days: < 35 °C
• 7 – 21 days: < 36°C 
• 21 – 30 days: < 37 °C

Associated clinical signs:

• Moderate hypothermia < 35°C
  • Increased activity, 
  • vocalizations,
  • increase in respiratory rate
  • decrease in heart rate (200-50bpm at 31°C)
• Severe hypothermia < 31°C
  • fadding puppy/kitten,
  • reduce muscle tone and suction reflex
• Very severe hypothermia < 25°C
  • Puppy/non-moving kitten
  • lateral decubitus
  • imperceptible breathing of mucosal “bronzes
  • rejected by the mother

Treatments : 

• Slowly warm the newborn baby
• Not more than one degree per hour
• IR lamp, hot water bottle, Paediatric incubator, heating mat, infusion solution, hot and humid cloth

• IF warming > 2°C /h : organic lesions (kidneys and lungs) leading to death delayed by several days
  Treat associated hypoglycemia
• IF T < 25°C (coma)
  • heated infusions (intravenous, intraosseous, intraperitoneal) increasing by 1°C per hour (very complicated in practice).

Excerpt from the pediatrics book