Published Apr 11, 2007
Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN
469 Posts
we had a pt come into the ER today with a core temp of 79.7... I was wondering what's the lowest temp you have seen?
TazziRN, RN
6,487 Posts
In a live body? Eighty-something.
jojotoo, RN
494 Posts
That's room temperature in my ER!
Did this patient survive?
We warmed the pt to 89 and sent him/her to ICU... We ran warmed fluids in, warm humidified 02, bair hugger, etc. Pt. is alive as of 36 hours later... I have never seen someone so cold!
Altra, BSN, RN
6,255 Posts
The lowest I've seen is 82.something. Pt. did not survive.
KellieNurse06
503 Posts
Holy Smokes!!!..Does this patient have any neurological problems??? I know lots of kids who have neurological problems like CP and Brain Damage can run hypothermic normally....actually my daughter is one of them...her temp has gone as low as 89 degrees when she was sick..and her normal baseline is 90.2-93.7........when it gets to 94 we watch for any s/s of illness....and if she gets up to 95 that is a fever for her. And also , as with her if she is getting sick she can go lower rather than spike up depending on what is brewing......it's really bizarre how the body works, huh? Wow but I honestly have never seen or heard of any temp lower than what I have seen personally with my own child even with others with similar neuro issues...... maybe that patient is septic.....but I am on speculating as I am no Dr by any means......I am still amazed at a temp that low....wow!!
neneRN, BSN, RN
642 Posts
82 on an alive pt.
XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN
1 Article; 3,017 Posts
Had to do a bit of converting to work out the degree of hypothermia as in the UK we use celcius.
I volunteer with a mountain search and rescue team and the lowest temp that I have seen was 24 degrees C which I think is aboutn 75.2.
THis was in an elderly depressed lady, she had drunk a bottle of vodka and taken an OD on the side of a mountain in UK winter. She spent a couple of weeks in ICU then was finally discharged some time later. 3 weeks after discharge she tried again and this time didn't survive.
Roy Fokker, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,011 Posts
Lowest I saw was dead winter in Buffalo - 42 yr old male with a core temp of 82. He had wind burn on his face from being exposed to the elements.
Didn't survive