Serum Potassium Rate (PR) is a key indicator for medical management of patients with accidental hypothermia particularly for hypothermia related cardiac arrest (CA). Experts recommend a cut-off value for PR of 12 mmol/l for all hypothermic victims and 8 mmol/l for avalanche casualties. Any patient presenting a PR lower than the cut-off value should be considered for Extracorporeal Rewarming. This therapeutic strategy is vital for patient survival. However, there is no consensus about what type of vessels should be punctured in order to obtain an accurate potassium rate and what type of measurement technics should be used to measure this potassium rate. The investigators hypothesize that potassium rate in these patients will differ by 1 mmol/l in blood samples collected from a peripheral vein in contrast to a central vein. The investigators study is a prospective observational, multicentre study.
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Comparison of potassium rate in central venous blood and blood from a peripheral vein (measured in mmol/l)
Timeframe: 24 hours