Rewarming from accidental hypothermia is often complicated by hypothermia-induced cardiac dysfunction, calling for immediate pharmacologic intervention. Studies show that although cardiac pharmacologic support is applied when rewarming these patients, a lack of updated treatment recommendations exist. Mainly due to lack of clinical and experimental data, neither of the international guidelines ...

<i>Aims</i>: Rewarming from accidental hypothermia and therapeutic temperature management could be complicated by cardiac dysfunction. Although pharmacologic support is often applied when rewarming these patients, updated treatment recommendations are lacking. There is an underlying deficiency of clinical and experimental data to support such interventions and this prevents the development of clinical ...

Cardiovascular risk is elevated in divers, but detailed information of cardiac function during diving is missing. The aim of this study was to apply an intact rat model with continuous monitoring of cardiac left ventricular (LV) function in a simulated diving experiment. Thirteen rats were inserted with a LV pressure–volume catheter and a pressure transducer in the femoral artery to measure hemodynamic ...

Background: Diving in cold water is thought to increase the risk of decompression sickness (DCS), especially if the diver is cold during decompression. In this study, we investigated hemodynamic function and DCS risk in an animal model, where cold decompression was followed by rewarming at the surface. <p> <p>Methods: Nine female Sprague Dawley rats had pressure-volume catheters inserted into ...

Acute hypoxia results in uncontrolled release of glutamate and the consequent stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which affects the whole ionic homeostasis and finally activates apoptosis of neurons. A potential therapeutic approach to prevent this sequence of events is a blockade of NMDA receptors. Meanwhile, in different models of acute hypoxia, activation of delta-opioid ...

Introduction: Due to functional alterations of blood platelets and coagulation enzymes at low temperatures, excessive bleeding is a well-recognized complication in victims of accidental hypothermia and may present a great clinical challenge. Still, it remains largely unknown if hemostatic function normalizes upon rewarming. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of hypothermia and rewarming ...

Introduction: Using a porcine model of accidental immersion hypothermia and hypothermic cardiac arrest (HCA), the aim of the present study was to compare effects of different rewarming strategies on CPB on need for vascular fluid supply, level of cardiac restitution, and cerebral metabolism and pressures.<p> <p>Materials and Methods: Totally sixteen healthy, anesthetized castrated male pigs were ...

<i>Background</i> - In different models of hypoxia, blockade of opioid or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors shows cardio- and neuroprotective effects with a consequent increase in animal survival. The aim of the study was to investigate effects of pre-treatment with Morphine or Ketamine on hemodynamic, acid-base status, early survival, and biochemical markers of brain damage in a rat model of ...

<i>Aims</i> - Treatment of arrhythmias evoked by hypothermia/rewarming remains challenging, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This <i>in vitro</i> experimental study assessed cardiac electrophysiology in isolated rabbit hearts at temperatures occurring in therapeutic and accidental hypothermia.<p><p> <i>Methods and results</i> - Detailed ECG, surface electrogram, and panoramic optical ...

Background: Accidental hypothermia (AH) is an unintended decrease in body core temperature (BCT) to below 35°C. We present an update on physiological/pathophysiological changes associated with AH and rewarming from hypothermic cardiac arrest (HCA).<p> <p>Temperature Regulation and Metabolism: Triggered by falling skin temperature, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) from hypothalamus induces ...