Hypothermia risk factors in patients with burns during emergency presentations: protocol for a retrospective cohort study

Introduction Burn injuries constitute a significant health concern, requiring immediate first aid to mitigate further tissue damage and complications. Most countries worldwide recommend application of 20 min of cool running water (20CRW) within 3 hours of the burn as the cornerstone in burn first aid management. Despite its widespread acceptance and proven benefits in reducing the severity of burns and subsequent interventions, concerns regarding the risk of hypothermia following this intervention persist, representing at least a perceived barrier to the delivery of 20CRW. When it does occur, hypothermia in patients with burns has been associated with higher mortality rates, even after controlling for burn injury severity. Developing an understanding of the incidence of post-burn hypothermia following 20CRW, with a specific focus on potential predictive and/or causative factors, is quintessential. Methods and analysis A retrospective cohort study of all adult and paediatric patients with thermal burn injuries presenting to one of 11 participating Australian or New Zealand hospitals between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 will be conducted. The primary outcome is the incidence of hypothermia in patients with burns following their arrival at the emergency department (ED). Secondary outcomes include influence of burn first aid cooling, risk factors influencing hypothermia, impact of hypothermia on clinical patient outcomes and incidence of hypothermia in patients with burns in non-ED settings. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was granted by the Children’s Health Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (CHQHREC; HREC Ref No: HREC/25/QCHQ/114285) as well as Health and Disability Ethics Committees, New Zealand (HDEC; Ref No: 2026 EXP 23892). The study findings will be formally disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.