Hypothermia (Print Version)

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Hypothermia

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hypothermia.html

Also called: Also called: Cold-related illness

In cold weather, your body may lose heat faster than you can produce it. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. It can make you sleepy, confused and clumsy. Because it happens gradually and affects your thinking, you may not realize you need help. That makes it especially dangerous. A body temperature below 95° F is a medical emergency and can lead to death if not treated promptly.

Anyone who spends much time outdoors in cold weather can get hypothermia. You can also get it from being cold and wet, or under cold water for too long. Babies and old people are especially at risk. Babies can get it from sleeping in a cold room.

Other cold-related health problems are

Frostbite - frozen body tissue, most often the face, ears, fingers or toes
Frostnip - an early warning sign of frostbite that leaves affected areas white and numb
Chilblains - red, swollen skin caused by inflamed small blood vessels

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Hypothermia: A Cold Weather Hazard(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/hypothermia.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/hypother-sp.asp
Winter Weather: Hypothermia(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.asp

Overviews

Hypothermia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Winter Weather FAQ(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/faq.asp

Treatment

Frostbite, First Aid(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/firstaid/firstAidFrostbite.htm
Hypothermia: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-hypothermia/FA00017/METHOD=print

Prevention/Screening

Tips to Protect Workers in Cold Environments(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/cold_weather_prep.html

Specific Conditions

Chilblains(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/chilblains/DS01091/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
Fighting Off Frostbite(American Osteopathic Association) - http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=you_frostbite
Nonfreezing Tissue Injuries(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/print/sec24/ch291/ch291c.html

Pictures & Photographs

Cold Stress Equation(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/Publications/coldcard/coldcard.html

Health Check Tools

Cold Injury(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/cold-injury/visit-virtual-doctor.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypothermia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hypothermia%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Classic EKG changes of hypothermia. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19325173&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Cold stress in the work environment. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19248749&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Differential neuronal and glial metabolic response during hypothermia in an... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19240619&tool=MedlinePlus
Hypothermia -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(hypothermia[majr]+NOT+hypothermia,induced[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/
National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/
Occupational Safety and Health Administration - http://www.osha.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/spanish/

Statistics

Hypothermia-Related Deaths -- United States, 1999 -- 2002 and 2005(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5510a5.htm

Children

Cold, Ice, and Snow Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/winter_safety.html
Frostbite(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/frostbite.html

Seniors

Stay Safe in Cold Weather!(National Institute on Aging) - Large PDF file - http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2E5CDADE-FAD7-44BA-B0BE-E8764EAABB4F/0/Stay_Safe_In_Cold_Weather.pdf

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Hypothermia is the National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/

Date last updated: April 27 2009

Topic last reviewed: February 28 2009