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Hypothermic VF arrest — DipIMC MCQ

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HardResuscitationHypothermic VF arrestDipIMC

A 73-year-old woman is found collapsed outdoors in winter. She is pulseless, the monitor shows VF and tympanic temperature is 27°C. What is the most appropriate management?

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Correct answer: E — Give up to three shocks, continue CPR and prioritise transport for rewarming capability

Severe accidental hypothermia modifies ALS: up to three shocks are given initially for VF, with further shocks and drug timing adjusted until rewarming. Hypothermic arrest can have good outcomes with prolonged resuscitation and extracorporeal or specialist rewarming pathways. Hot drinks are unsafe in arrest. The pearl is the classic principle: the patient is not dead until warm and dead, unless clear lethal injury exists.

Reference: Resuscitation Council UK Special Circumstances Guidelines 2025; JRCALC Guidelines 2025