WELCOME

The International Hypothermia Registry (IHR) is the first and only world-wide database on human accidental hypothermia with more than 250 entries from all continents over a 10-year period.  The results have been published in Resuscitation in 2021 and received the ‘Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award ‘ from the American Heart Association.

This internet-based registry was created at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland which hosts the data on its secure server.  It is registered in Switzerland and has Ethical Approval from the University of Geneva. 

The IHR’s main goal is to increase awareness and knowledge of accidental hypothermia by gathering sufficient relevant data through international networking, creating the largest database on deep accidental hypothermia.  The Registry will enable the assessment of pre-hospital treatments, rewarming methods and survival factors as well as post-rewarming complications.  This will allow the establishment of evidence-based knowledge and treatment guidelines, thus improving patients’ outcome.

Background

The IHR has been founded at the University Hospital in Geneva in 2010 by doctors B.H. Walpoth, M. Meyer, and Mr. Ph. Baumann.

In 2020 it was updated onto the REDCap database by doctors B.H. Walpoth, M. Meyer, E. Cools and D. Courvoisier and reviewed by the International Working Group on Accidental Hypothermia (IWAH). 

The IHR is supported by the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR-MEDCOM), the Swiss Society of Mountain Medicine (SSMM) and the German Society of Expedition and Mountain Medicine (BExMed) and also part of the Mountain Registries. In addition, the IHR has received patronage from several Collaborating Organizations (PDF).