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What Is a Hypothermia Blanket?

Drue Tibbits
Drue Tibbits

A hypothermia blanket is a medical device used to lower a patient’s internal body temperature. The blanket can be used to lower the temperature of a patient with an elevated body temperature, or it can be used on a patient with a normal temperature to prevent further damage during a medical crisis. Cold water circulates within the sealed blanket to both absorb excess heat and to provide a cooling mechanism for the body. The blankets are used with specific criteria regarding the temperature goal to be reached and how long the patient is to be kept at the target temperature. Hypothermia can be a dangerous medical condition, and these cooling blankets should only be used under medical supervision.

Induced hypothermia — the purposeful lowering of the internal body temperature — is useful in several medical situations. A hypothermia blanket is sometimes used after cardiac arrest when specific criteria regarding the event have been met. The blankets are used in some cases of perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, situations where infants risk brain injury due to a lack of oxygen or impaired blood flow. Hypothermia blankets are also used to cool patients suffering from heat stroke, where the internal body temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

Hypothermia blankets may be used to cool patients suffering from heat stroke.
Hypothermia blankets may be used to cool patients suffering from heat stroke.

The body’s normal internal temperature is close to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Therapeutic hypothermia involves lowering the body temperature to between 90 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 34 degrees Celsius). A hypothermia blanket keeps the body at the lowered temperature for varying periods of time, depending on the condition being treated. After treatment, the patient is slowly warmed until the internal body temperature reaches the normal range.

Despite the name, hypothermia blankets are not used to treat or prevent hypothermia.
Despite the name, hypothermia blankets are not used to treat or prevent hypothermia.

The patient can lay on top or underneath the hypothermia blanket. Occasionally, two blankets are used — one on top as well as one beneath. The patient’s temperature is closely monitored during blanket use. The cooling properties of the blanket are sometimes augmented with invasive cooling methods, such as an infusion of cold, lactated Ringer’s solution, or a catheter to circulate cold saline solution.

Despite their name, hypothermia blankets are not used to treat or prevent hypothermia. Blankets designed to combat hypothermia by either preventing the loss of body heat or raising the body’s internal temperature are called hyperthermia blankets. Some manufacturers offer blankets capable of both lowering and raising the body’s temperature. These hyper/hypothermia blankets use water that is either cooled or heated before being circulated through.

Discussion Comments

burcidi

@simrin-- Some type of a warming blanket is a good idea if you're going to be faced with very low temperatures.

Hypothermia blankets can be expensive, but there are more affordable ones as well. The really expensive ones are usually used by the military and medical practitioners also used them for patients who suffer from hypothermia.

SteamLouis

I'm going on an expedition to the mountains and I'm not sure what kind of situations I will be faced with there.

Should I get a hypothermia blanket just in case? How expensive is it?

I'm guessing they're expensive, so if I don't need one, I'd rather not buy it. But my team is not going to have access to a health facility for a while, and I think a hypothermia blanket might come in useful if there is an emergency.

stoneMason

I didn't realize that hypothermia blankets are also used for cooling. I thought it was just for warming. That's cool.

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    • Hypothermia blankets may be used to cool patients suffering from heat stroke.
      By: Maridav
      Hypothermia blankets may be used to cool patients suffering from heat stroke.
    • Despite the name, hypothermia blankets are not used to treat or prevent hypothermia.
      By: Antalia
      Despite the name, hypothermia blankets are not used to treat or prevent hypothermia.