Resuscitation of an Unconscious Victim of Accidental Hypothermia in 1805

Bernd Wallner; Gordon Giesbrecht; Mathieu Pasquier; Les Gordon; Raimund Lechner; Hermann Brugger; Peter Paal; Tomasz Darocha; Ken Zafren

doi:10.1016/j.wem.2021.08.007

Resuscitation of an Unconscious Victim of Accidental Hypothermia in 1805

Wilderness Environ Med. 2021 Dec;32(4):548-553. doi: 10.1016/j.wem.2021.08.007. Epub 2021 Oct 5.

Authors

Bernd Wallner¹, Gordon Giesbrecht², Mathieu Pasquier³, Les Gordon⁴, Raimund Lechner⁵, Hermann Brugger⁶, Peter Paal⁷, Tomasz Darocha⁸, Ken Zafren⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Department of General and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, EURAC Research, Bolzano, Italy.
² Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Anesthesia, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
³ Emergency Department, Lausanne University Hospital, and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom), Zürich, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster, UK; Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team, Ambleside, UK.
⁵ Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pain, Medicine, Armed Forces Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, EURAC Research, Bolzano, Italy; International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom), Zürich, Switzerland; Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁷ International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom), Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Hospitallers Brothers Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
⁸ Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
⁹ International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom), Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Emergency Medicine, Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska; Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California. Electronic address: zafren@stanford.edu.

PMID: 34620550
DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2021.08.007

Abstract

In 1805, W.D., a 16-y-old boy, became hypothermic after he was left alone on a grounded boat in Leith Harbour, near Edinburgh, Scotland. He was brought to his own house and resuscitated with warm blankets, smelling salts, and massage by Dr. George Kellie. W.D. made an uneventful recovery. We discuss the pathophysiology and treatment of accidental hypothermia, contrasting treatment in 1805 with treatment today. W.D. was hypothermic when found by passersby. Although he appeared dead, he was rewarmed with help from Dr. Kellie and his assistants over 200 y ago using simple methods. One concept that has not changed is the critical importance of attempting resuscitation, even if it seems to be futile. Don't give up!

Keywords: emergencies; prehospital; resuscitation; rewarming; unconsciousness.

MeSH terms

Humans
Hypothermia* / therapy
Male
Resuscitation
Rewarming
Scotland