Mortality rate after complete avalanche burial is around 52% [1] due to asphyxia, severe trauma and/or deep hypothermia [2] and [3]. Asphyxia and severe trauma are the leading cause of cardiac arrest (CA) in this context and are associated with poor neurologic outcome [2], [3], [4] and [5]. Conversely, CA due to accidental hypothermia is rare but may confer ideal condition for successful neurological recovery despite prolonged avalanche burial [6] and [7]. On-scene triage of avalanche victims with CA aims at identifying patients with isolated accidental hypothermia to be resuscitated until rewarming. Triage algorithms are based upon duration of burial, airway conditions, body core temperature, initial cardiac activity and reported signs of life at extrication [8]. After on-scene triage, updated recommendations for extracorporeal life support (ECLS) relies on body core temperature lower than 30 °C, duration of burial longer than 60 minutes, no severe trauma and serum potassium concentration lower than 8 mmol/L at hospital admission [9]. Despite adequate adherence to algorithms, patients with brain anoxia are still admitted to the Emergency Department (ED), which challenges the usefulness of the applied criteria.
Only limited data are available regarding CT scan findings after complete avalanche burial and mainly focus on traumatic injuries [10] and [11]. However, signs of brain anoxia on cerebral CT scan would be relevant to further explore the association between clinical/biological parameters and neurological prognosis. Moreover, snow aspiration signs on thoracic CT scan maybe also helpful to test the relevancy of airway pattern assessment in the field. As whole body imaging was performed in our center to assess associated injuries and potential brain anoxia in these patients, we decided to test whether CT signs of brain hypoxia were associated with clinical and biological parameters used for triage of avalanche victims with CA [12] and [13].