Patients with severe burns are at risk of developing hypothermia due to the loss of the skin’s thermoregulatory mechanisms. These groups are at additional risk of developing hypothermia:

Implement measures that minimise heat loss
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1. Large surface area burns: loss of skin’s thermoregulatory mechanism
2. Children: due to their large body surface area relative to body size.
3. Intubated: unable to shiver following the administration of paralyzing agents
4. Elderly: the body’s ability to regulate temperature and to sense cold may lessen with age

Efforts should be made to minimise heat loss and maintain normothermia. This includes:

1. Cover the burn as soon as possible
2. Stop cooling if core temperature <35C
3. Cover the patient with blankets:
   • Warm blankets
   • Space blankets
   • Forced air warming blanket eg. Bair Hugger
4. Use warm IV fluids
5. Keep the room/ambulance vehicle warm
6. Check temperature regularly
7. Remove any wet dressings, sheets etc that can accelerate evaporative heat loss