Accidental Hypothermia Associated with Intracardiac Thrombi

Accidental hypothermia and thrombosis are rarely associated and encountered. A 66-year-old male and 62-year-old male were both admitted with accidental hypothermia. Patient 1 had a rectal temperature of 28.5 °Celcius (C). After 1 day of hospitalization, he developed worsening shortness of breath due to worsening pulmonary edema. Further investigation with echocardiogram showed large left ventricular thrombi as well and global hypokinesis and apical akinesis. Patient 2 had a rectal temperature of 28.5 °C, he was also discovered to have a multifactorial shock. Echocardiogram for shock evaluation showed small apical thrombus as well as global hypokinesis. Hypothermia has been associated with hypocoagulability rather than hypercoagulability secondary to platelet dysfunction and clotting factor enzyme derangements. Moreover, hypothermia has also been associated with myocardial dysfunction that could have predisposed the development of intracardiac thrombi. Further research needs to be done to help better understand these possible association.