Airway Warming in Accidental Hypothermia

Accidental hypothermia is a hazard of many outdoor activities and the physiological changes, symptoms, signs and preventive precautions have been covered elsewhere. (Burton and Edholm, 1955; Freeman and Pugh, 1969; Keatinge, 1969; Taylor, 1972). However accidental hypothermia is a particular hazard of water activities since if the water temperature is below 200C hypothermia is almost inevitable, the time of onset varying with a number of factors including the water temperature (Keatinge, 1969). Since it is unlikely that any water around or within the British Isles is ever above 200C, the hazard is ever present.