Hypothermia - (Hi-po-THUR-me-uh) A medical emergency that occurs when the body loses more heat than it produces. Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees (37C). Hypothermia sets in at 95 degrees (35C) and is most often caused by cold weather or immersion in cold water.
[1]
Introduction to Hypothermia
Exposure to excessive cold that can cause enzymatic activity throughout the body, leading to potentially fatal rhabdomyolysis, coagulopathy, renal failure, and dysrhythmias. The very young, alcoholics, drug users, elderly, homeless and chronically ill persons with preexisting heart and other diseases are at increased risk for dying from hypothermia.[2]
Symptoms & Types/Variations of Hypothermia
Minor
Moderate
- Shivering
- Irratability
- Drowsiness
- Urge to urinate
- Vascular constriction
- Tracychardia
- Hepatic dysfunction
- Hypoglycemia
Severe
- Severe shaking
- Loss of muscle control
- Paleness of the extremitise: lips, ears, toes, fingers turning blue
- Decrease in heart, blood pressure and respiratory rates (*occasional increased heart rate occures due to ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation)
- Slowed speech and thinking
- Clinical death
- Terminal burrowing (hiding or enclosing one's self in small, covered spaces)
- Paradoxical undressing (the act of removing clothing due to possible malfunction of the hypothalmus, causing an individual suffering hypothermia to feel overly warm)
Treatments of Hypothermia
Natural
- Bring person to a warm, sheltered area
- Remove wet clothing
- Put under electric blanket or other heat source, wrapped in protective sheet
- Direct skin-to-skin heat
Medical
[3]
- Chemical packs
- CPR
- Bretylium (5 mg/kg initially) is a highly advised for the treatment of hypothermia in patients with an internal temperature of 30C, though manufacturing has been discontinued since 1999
