Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Practice Test

Keeping trauma patients warm is essential primarily to prevent hypothermia, which can significantly exacerbate conditions such as coagulopathy and shock. When a patient experiences trauma, their body is already under stress, and the introduction of hypothermia can lead to a vicious cycle. Hypothermia can impair platelet function and clotting factors, worsening coagulopathy, which is the inability of blood to clot properly. This increased bleeding can compound the challenges involved in managing shock, as it not only reduces blood volume but also affects the body’s ability to compensate for the loss. Maintaining normothermia is thus crucial in a trauma setting to support hemostatic functions and improve overall outcomes.

While maintaining normal heart rates, promoting wound healing, and ensuring comfort can also be important aspects of patient care, they are secondary to the more immediate need to prevent life-threatening complications that arise from hypothermia. Ensuring that trauma patients are kept warm directly addresses a critical factor in their stabilization and recovery.