Controlled comparison of humidified inhalation and peritoneal lavage in rewarming of immersion hypothermia.

Random source dogs were anesthetized and cooled by immersion in ice water to a stable core temperature of 25 degrees C and subsequently rewarmed with either normal saline peritoneal lavage (43 degrees C, 175 ml/kg/h) or warmed humidified inhalation (43 degrees C, 450 ml/kg/min ventilation). The time required for core rewarming to 30 degrees C was 192 +/- 61 minutes for lavage and 331 +/- 96 minutes for inhalation therapy (P less than 0.03). These data suggest that peritoneal lavage is superior to inhalation therapy for core rewarming of rapidly induced immersion hypothermia.