Exposure hypothermia and the winter sports SCI participant

Sensation is impaired in the individual with a complete spinal cord injury and it can be compromised in those with incomplete lesions. Quadriplegics and high paraplegics are, therefore, susceptible to environmental temperature changes (partially poikilothermics). Physicians have assumed that SCI persons engaged in winter sports activities are sensitive to exposure hypothermia. To test this premise, participants were examined within five minutes following their arrival from the ski slopes. Sublingual temperature, pulse and respirations were obtained from nine participants. Exposure hypothermia was found in one-third of the selected individuals. We concluded that exposure hypothermia is one of the complications to look for in the winter sports SCI participant, and that cases could be misdiagnosed if physiological knowledge of the SCI person is lacking.