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Decreased Body Temperature

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...

Methods of reducing fever

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:

Increased Body Temperature

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.

Toxidromes: Clinical Features

Toxidromes: Clinical Features

Toxidromes are specific patterns of symptoms resulting from toxic substance exposure. They help in the identification and treatment of poisoning. The symptoms of each toxidrome group indicate poisoning by a certain class of chemicals or drugs.1. Sympathomimetic: Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Symptoms include agitation, increased heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), temperature, and pupil size. Drugs like cocaine and amphetamines, along with tremors and...

Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Published on: November 21, 2017

Hypothermic overdose, not all bad?

Timothy Petterson¹, Lindsay Lyon, Bradley Peckler

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand.

Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock

|August 21, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This case study highlights a severe overdose of Quetiapine and Citalopram, complicated by profound hypothermia. Therapeutic hypothermia may have contributed to the patient's survival and recovery.

Keywords:

Electrocardiogram hypothermia toxicology

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Area of Science:

Toxicology
Emergency Medicine
Critical Care

Background:

Intentional overdose of Quetiapine (5800 mg) and Citalopram (240 mg) combined with alcohol presents a significant clinical challenge.
Profound hypothermia (24°C) and low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (8) indicate severe central nervous system depression and cardiovascular compromise.

Observation:

The patient presented with agonal respirations, bradycardia (56/min), and severe hypotension (55/35 mmHg).
Aggressive management included intubation, administration of specific antidotes (sodium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate, calcium gluconate), adrenaline infusion, and active/passive rewarming.

Findings:

Significant electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities were noted, attributed to the cumulative effects of hypothermia and polypharmacy.
The patient experienced a remarkable recovery with only residual numbness in the left leg, likely due to immobility.

Implications:

This case suggests that therapeutic hypothermia, often induced intentionally, may have conferred a protective effect in this accidental overdose scenario.
Understanding the interplay between hypothermia and polypharmacy overdose is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes in critical care settings.