In every hypothermia care it is important to have a good organised chain to enhance survival for the patient. In hypothermia accidents chain starts with the first responder knowing the algorithm – No one should be declared dead before being warm and dead.
This mantra should be spoken out by everyone in the hypothermic chain all the way to hospital. And if someone in the chain is a non believer, the other persons around must rise there voices and say – “the three other golden rules of hypothermia Never give up, never give up, never give up” because these approaches saves lives.
As victim of hypothermia caught under an ice in a frozen gully for 80 minutes in 1999 I am a living example of how well it can go for a patient if the responders do not give up.
After about 2 hours and 45 minutes with CPR I arrived with helicopter at the University Hospital of North Norway in Trom; and was rewarmed on ECMO from 13.7 degrees.
I know there are other patients saved from just as low temperatures and knowing they may be alive because my story has been told over and over again makes me happy.
That I was a trained doctor when I had the accident and now are able to travel around and tell my story to health personell give meaning to my life.
I would like all hypothermic victims to get the same chance as I did. Reading this book is a good start organise your hypothermic chain.