Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

9 Other Emergencies

Severe hypothermia can develop in minutes, such as during immersion in cold water, or it may develop slowly, such as when a person spends several hours outside in cooler weather. The temperature does not have to be freezing for hypothermia to develop. Prolonged exposure to temperatures below 15°C can cause hypothermia. Even in summer weather, swimmers who are in the water for long periods can be at risk. Like all heat and cold related injuries, children, the elderly, and the ill are all at greater risk of hypothermia. Patients with burns, head or spinal injury, stroke, shock, diabetes, and infections are all more prone to hypothermia. Some drugs and poisons may also affect the body’s ability to regulate heat.

Signs and symptoms of hypothermia usually become progressively worse. As the body’s core temperature falls, hypothermia generally progresses through the four stages in the table below. There may be no clear separation of stages.

Hypothermia Patient

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