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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

In Vivo Telemetry to Record Long-Term Cardiovascular Parameters, Temperature, and Activity in Spinal Cord Injury Rat Models
Published on: January 2, 2026
Hypothermia in patients with chronic spinal cord injury
Sofia Khan1, Mary Plummer, Alberto Martinez-Arizala
1University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
Design:
Retrospective analysis of medical records.
Background/Objectives:
To determine frequency and degree of hypothermic episodes in patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting:
Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Methods:
Research involved analysis of body temperature records of 50 chronic patients with tetraplegia. All patients were men with a length of injury of 19 +/- 6 years. Mean age was 53 +/- 15 (SD) years. Data were derived from the computerized patient record database system of the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Results were classified into 3 groups: (a) hypothermia (< 95 degrees F), (b) subnormal temperature (< 97.7 degrees F), and normal temperatures (97.7 degrees F to 98.4 degrees F). Body temperature was recorded during hospitalization (minimum duration of 30 days) using an oral probe twice a day. Ambient temperature was controlled by a central air-conditioning system and maintained at 72 degrees F to 74 degrees F.
Results:
A total of 867 measurements of body temperature were evaluated; normal temperature was recorded 298 times (35%), subnormal temperature was recorded 544 times (63%), and hypothermia was recorded 25 times (3%). There were 15 patients with 30 hypothermic episodes; subnormal temperature was found in all 50 patients from 1 to 47 times. Regression analysis of age and duration of SCI showed a nonsignificant relationship with body temperature.
Conclusions:
Our data suggest that patients with tetraplegia after SCI have significant dysfunction of thermoregulation associated with frequent episodes of subnormal body temperature in a normal ambient environment. Further studies are needed to evaluate possible consequences of low temperatures on the general health of patients and to develop preventive interventions.
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