Mild hypothermia has minimal effects on the tolerance to severe progressive normovolemic anemia in swine.

This experimental study performed in anesthetized pigs reports that hypothermia to 32C did not really improve tolerance to acute dilutional anemia as reflected by a non significant change in the critical hemoglobin value (i.e., the value of hemoglobin below which oxygen consumption becomes supply-dependent). Although not directly applicable to the clinical setting, these observations could have important implications in the management of severe anemic patients.

– Philippe Van der Linden