Evaluation of the effects of low temperature on performance of standard non-electric medical equipment at -21.5°C (-6.7°F) - a descriptive study on a real life challenge in the prehospital setting.

Aim Of The Study: To our knowledge, there are no previous reports on the performance of medical equipment in cold conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of several plastic, single-use medical equipment exposed to cold outdoor temperature.

Methods: Medical equipment such as endotracheal tubes, suction catheters and intravenous lines were exposed to outdoor temperature of -21.