Trauma Patients and Hypothermia in the Emergency Room: ReadyHeat® Versus Cotton Wool Blanket

University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Trauma; Hypothermia

Treatments: Device: ReadyHeat® blanket; Device: Cotton wool blanket

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02353793

ReadyHeat

Details and patient eligibility

About

Hypothermia is a common problem in traumatized patients leading to severe complications such as impaired coagulation, increased rate of wound infections and overall patient discomfort among others. Therefore, the investigators test out the new self warming ReadyHeat® blanket device against the currently used cotton wool blanket in terms of effects on the prevention and treatment of hypothermia.

Full description

Hypothermia is a common problem in traumatized patients leading to severe complications such as impaired coagulation, increased rate of wound infections and overall patient discomfort among others. Therefore, the investigators test out the new self warming (via an exothermic reaction) ReadyHeat® blanket device against the currently used cotton wool blanket in terms of effects on the prevention and treatment of hypothermia. Near body core temperature is measured by a sublingual sensor as the "gold standard" of body core temperature measurement - the pulmonary artery catheter - is too invasive and not suited for this collective of patients in the emergency room setting. Blanket use will be randomized. Temperature will be taken at emergency room admission, after 15, 30 and 45 minutes of treatment as well as right before handing the patient over to the next caring unit (ICU, IMC, operating theatre etc.). If treatment time is shorter than expected measurement will stop at the latest possible point. Blankets will be applied to the patient once admission in the emergency room is complete and will only be lifted for interventions.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Trauma patients ≥ 18 years of all severity stages including poly traumatized patients admissioned through the emergency room

Exclusion criteria

• Patients < 18 years
• Patients after pre-hospital cardiac arrest or ongoing CPR at time of admission

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

ReadyHeat® blanket

Experimental group

Description:

Patient warming with ReadyHeat® blanket

Treatment:

Device: ReadyHeat® blanket

Cotton wool blanket

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patient warming with cotton wool blanket

Treatment:

Device: Cotton wool blanket