Severe Hypophosphatemia as a Complication of the Treatment of Hypothermia

• Severe hypophosphatemia (< 1.0 mg/dL) has been described in only a few well-defined clinical situations. Reported here is the first case, to my knowledge, of severe hypophosphatemia occurring during the rewarming of a profoundly hypothermic patient. Urinary excretion of phosphorus was minimal, implying a shift of phosphorus into the intracellular space.

(Arch Intern Med 140:128-129, 1980)