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1 December 2008 Hypothermia and Other Cold-Related Morbidity Emergency Department Visits: United States, 1995–2004
Eduardo Azziz Baumgartner, Martin Belson, Carol Rubin, Manish Patel
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Abstract

Objective.—Although hypothermia is preventable, little has been published on its epidemiology. This study estimates the incidence of hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity emergency department (ED) visits in the United States.

Methods.—We identified hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity ED visits from the 1995– 2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (991.6–991.9) or cause-of-injury E-codes (901.0–901.9 and 988.3).

Results.—In the United States there were an estimated 15 574 (95% CI = 9 103–22 045) hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity ED visits during 1995 to 2004. Compared with other ED patients, those with hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity diagnoses were older (mean age 45 vs 36 years; P = .009) and were more likely to be uninsured (risk ratio [RR] = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.54–3.84). Hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity ED visits required more transfers to critical care units (RR = 6.73; 95% CI = 1.8–25.0) than did other ED visits.

Conclusions.—Hypothermia and other cold-related morbidity is a preventable resource-intensive condition that tends to affect the disadvantaged.

Eduardo Azziz Baumgartner, Martin Belson, Carol Rubin, and Manish Patel "Hypothermia and Other Cold-Related Morbidity Emergency Department Visits: United States, 1995–2004," Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 19(4), 233-237, (1 December 2008). https://doi.org/10.1580/07-WEME-OR-104.1
Published: 1 December 2008
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KEYWORDS
emergency visits
epidemiology
Hypothermia
incidence
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