1 Elle a froid and ABG's The patient's name is Ella Froid. That would place Ella Froid in the moderate category. Her finger stick glucose is 133. The pH, on the other hand, will be lower than the actual values. Her chest X-ray is normal.
Hypothermic patients are generally volume contracted secondary to a cold diuresis.
As a result, the patient's hematocrit may be deceptively high. Additionally the ECG signs of hyperkalemia my be diminished or absent. Acute hypothermia often induces hyperglycemia, whereas chronic hypothermia may cause hypoglycemia. Since the kinetic clotting tests are done at normal body temperature ranges, coagulopathies may not be apparent from the clotting studies and do not reflect what is actually going on in vivo in a particular patient. The tech hands you the EKG while you are back at the desk warming up your coffee.