What is a key measure to prevent hypothermia-related coagulopathy in trauma patients?

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Multiple Choice

What is a key measure to prevent hypothermia-related coagulopathy in trauma patients?

Maintaining normal body temperature is critical because hypothermia slows the coagulation cascade and impairs platelet function, increasing bleeding risk after trauma. The best way to prevent hypothermia-related coagulopathy is to actively keep the patient warm and use warmed IV fluids. This reduces heat loss from exposure, ambient temperatures, and resuscitation with cold fluids, helping preserve clotting function early in care. Exposing the patient to a cold environment, giving cold IV fluids, or delaying warming would all promote heat loss and worsen coagulopathy, so they are not appropriate.

Maintaining normal body temperature is critical because hypothermia slows the coagulation cascade and impairs platelet function, increasing bleeding risk after trauma. The best way to prevent hypothermia-related coagulopathy is to actively keep the patient warm and use warmed IV fluids. This reduces heat loss from exposure, ambient temperatures, and resuscitation with cold fluids, helping preserve clotting function early in care. Exposing the patient to a cold environment, giving cold IV fluids, or delaying warming would all promote heat loss and worsen coagulopathy, so they are not appropriate.

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