[Hepatic disorders and nephropathies as the criteria of the severity of general hypothermia].

Comprehensive examination of 27 subjects who had suffered from supercooling in cold water and autopsy evidence on 7 victims of general supercooling provided data on structural and functional impairment of the liver and kidneys varying in gravity and duration. The highest informative value in the diagnosis of hepato- and nephropathies belongs to biochemical tests able to detect hyperbilirubinemia, aminotransferase hyperactivity, elevated levels of blood urea and creatinine++. The underlying pathological mechanism in the liver and kidney under supercooling is disturbed microcirculation. The severity and duration of hepato- and nephropathy depend on the seriousness of general cooling.