Hypothermia Research Paper

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I. INTRODUCTION
The human body contains 4 to 6 liters of blood, depending upon the body size. The main components of blood can be classified as the cell free plasma (50-60%) and RBCs (40-50%), while WBCs accounts for only 1% of total blood volume. In order to maintain its vital properties, it must be refrigerated at cold temperature, i.e. +4◦C and it must be cooled to below +10◦C during transportation. If the blood is stored or transported outside of the required temperature for a prolonged time, it reduces the oxygen-carrying ability to the tissues during transfusion. The various factors that affects the blood when it is exposed above or below the freezing temperature are the risk of bacterial contamination, red blood cells rupture, release of hemoglobin and transfusion of such blood can be fatal. …show more content…

The severity of hypothermia has been classified, as moderate with 32–34◦C, as mild 34–36◦C and as severe hypothermia when the temperature is less than 32◦C [2]. Intense shivering may occur between 34 and 36◦C which increases the oxygen demand and metabolic rate [3]. The hypothermic patients may be in a state of abnormal breathing and deep tendon reflexes. Changes in cardiac and coagulation systems such as the ventricle becomes irritable below the threshold temperature for ventricular fibrillation, i.e. 25 to 28◦C [4]. The adverse effects of hypothermia in the injured patient are shown in Table1

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