2024 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 34-39
Objective: Accidental hypothermia (AH), a condition in which the deep body temperature is incidentally lowered below 35˚C, often shows an Osborn J wave (OW) on ECG. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is association between OW and the severity of illness in patients with AH.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients who were admitted to the emergency department between May 24, 2013 and March 31, 2022 and diagnosed with AH. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and 5A score (age, activities of daily living (ADL), albumin level, pH, and “near cardiac arrest”) were used to evaluate severity of illness.
Results: Comparing 21 OW-positive cases with 51 OW-negative cases, the 5A score differed significantly only in “near cardiac arrest cases” (p=0.046). The SOFA score was not significantly different in two groups (p=0.69), and when examined by organ, only the cardiovascular system showed a significant difference (p=0.01).
Conclusion: The results suggest that the presence or absence of OW was not associated with the severity of AH patients.
