Hypothermia: risk factors and guidelines for nursing care

Hypothermia occurs when heat loss from the body exceeds heat gain and the core temperature of the body falls below 35 degrees C. Although death from hypotheRmia is rare, 80 per cent of associated mortalities are in older people. There are many underlying conditions that increase a person's susceptibility to cold and this includes not having the ability to make appropriate environmental adjustments to maintain body temperature. The nursing management of a patient with hypothermia depends upon the severity of the condition. The nurse's primary concern is to treat the symptoms and re-warm the patient appropriately.