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Hypothermia in the summer
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.
Southern Medical Journal
|June 1, 1991
Summary
Hypothermia can occur in summer, even in warm climates, due to multiple health factors. Prompt medical attention is crucial for patients with altered mental status and hypothermia.
Area of Science:
- Internal Medicine
- Environmental Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Hypothermia is typically associated with cold environments, but can occur in warmer climates under specific circumstances.
- Altered mental status can significantly impair thermoregulation, increasing susceptibility to hypothermia.
- Non-exposure hypothermia requires a thorough investigation of multifactorial causes.
Observation:
- Two cases of summer hypothermia with altered mental status in the sunbelt are presented.
- Predisposing factors included phenothiazine use, alcoholism, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and Parkinson's disease.
- These cases highlight the potential for severe hypothermia unrelated to environmental cold exposure.
Findings:
- Multifactorial origin of hypothermia in patients with altered mental status.
- The combination of underlying conditions and impaired mentation led to dangerous drops in body temperature.
- Despite survival in these cases, mortality risk is presumed to be high.
Implications:
- Clinicians must consider hypothermia in patients with altered mental status, regardless of season or location.
- Prompt and aggressive diagnosis and treatment are essential for improving outcomes.
- A broad differential diagnosis of predisposing conditions is mandatory for effective management.