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Diseases » Hypothermia » Causes
 

Causes of Hypothermia

Contents
  1. Hypothermia: Introduction
  2. List of Causes
  3. Drugs/substances (4 causes)
  4. Drug interaction (27 causes)
  5. Hidden causes
  6. Risk factors
  7. Excerpts from book chapters
  8. Complication causes
  9. Causes of symptoms
  10. News
  11. Related cause information

List of causes of Hypothermia

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Hypothermia) that could possibly cause Hypothermia includes:

More causes: see full list of causes for Hypothermia

Causes of Hypothermia (Diseases Database):

The follow list shows some of the possible medical causes of Hypothermia that are listed by the Diseases Database:

Source: Diseases Database

Hypothermia Causes: Book Excerpts

Hypothermia as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Hypothermia as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Hypothermia. Our database lists the following as having Hypothermia as a complication of that condition:

Hypothermia as a symptom:

Conditions listing Hypothermia as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Hypothermia. Our database lists the following as having Hypothermia as a symptom of that condition:

Medications or substances causing Hypothermia:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Hypothermia as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

Read more about medication causes of Hypothermia


Drug interactions causing Hypothermia:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Hypothermia as a symptom.

The list below is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

  • Ibuprofen and Baclofen interaction
  • Amitriptyline and Fluconazole interaction
  • Lithium Carbonate and Diazepam interaction
  • Lithium and Diazepam interaction
  • Carbolith and Diazepam interaction
  • more interactions...»

See full list of 27 drug interactions causing Hypothermia

Medical news summaries relating to Hypothermia:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Hypothermia:

Related information on causes of Hypothermia:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Hypothermia may be found in:

Causes of Hypothermia: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Hypothermia.

Hypothermia: Differential Diagnosis
(In a Page: Signs and Symptoms)

  • Exposure
    –Alcohol intake is a common risk factor because it both alters thermoregulation and promotes risk-taking behavior
    –Shivering, amnesia, ataxia, and dysarthria occur with mild hypothermia (>89.6°F, or >32°C)
    –Stupor, absence of shivering, atrial fibrillation, and/or bradycardia occur with moderate hypothermia (82–90°F, or 28–32°C)
    –Coma, ventricular fibrillation, apnea, asystole, and/or areflexia occur with severe hypothermia (<82.4°F, or <28°C)
  • Sepsis
    –Mild hypothermia is common in sepsis, especially in infection with gram-negative rods (e.g., E. coli), and in the elderly
  • Hypothyroidism
    –Up to 10 times more common in females
    –May be of autoimmune, postsurgical, or pituitary etiology
    –Symptoms include hypothermia, hair loss, dry skin, pretibial myxedema, weight gain, constipation, and prolonged relaxation phase of deep tendon reflexes
  • Stroke
    –Hypothermia may occur because of altered cerebral thermoregulation
  • Hypovolemic shock
    –Poor peripheral perfusion often results in mild hypothermia
  • Massive blood transfusion
    –Due to refrigerated blood that is rapidly transfused without warming
  • End-stage liver disease
    –Consider spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and sepsis in patients with ascites

    • >>

    » READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

    Source: In a Page: Signs and Symptoms, 2004

    Hypothermia: Differential Diagnosis
    (In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms)

    • Cold exposure
      –Infants and younger children are more prone to heat loss due to higher surface-to-weight ratio and poor adaptive behavioral response to cold
      –Immersion and near drowning are the most frequent causes of hypothermia throughout childhood
      –Hypothermia is the leading cause of death during outdoor recreation (winter sports, climbing)
      • Drugs
        –Antipyretics, sedatives, anesthetics, phenothiazines, oral hypoglycemics
        –Alcohol ingestion causing vasodilation
    • Sepsis or other serious bacterial infection especially in neonates and in the immunocompromised host
    • Endocrinologic disorders
      –Hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, hypoadrenalism
      • Iatrogenic
        –Surgery (during and immediately after) as a combination of anesthetics and sometimes visceral exposure to the usually cool operating environment
        –Inadequate thermal support during transport and resuscitation
        –Infusion of cold IV fluids and blood products
        • Malnutrition/starvation
          –Children die from hypothermia in the tropics despite the high temperature
        • Eating disorders
          –15% of patients with anorexia nervosa have temperature below 95°F (35°C)
      • Trauma, burns, and other dermatologic conditions that impair the body's ability to decrease heat loss
        • Neurologic and neuromuscular disorders
          –Central dysfunction of thermoregulatory control
          –Immobilizing conditions
          –Intracranial hemorrhage or infarction
          –CNS tumors
          –Congenital absence of the corpus callosum
      • Familial dysautonomia
      • Menkes syndrome (kinky-hair disease)
      • Water intoxication

    » READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

    Source: In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms, 2007

    Hypothermia: Medical causes
    (Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series)

    Prolonged exposure to extremely low temperatures

    The patient will have severe hypothermia, accompanied by lethargy or coma, depressed respiratory rate and depth, bradycardia, and muscle stiffness. The patient may have been exposed to an extremely low temperature with an excessive wind chill factor. If the patient is elderly or debilitated, he may have been exposed to a low room temperature. The patient may also have recently received a blood transfusion with cold blood or underwent a hemodialysis treatment.

    Other causes

    Disorders

    Hypothermia may be a result of a certain disorder, but may not require immediate intervention. Endocrine disorders, such as hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, hypopituitarism, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis, stroke, and renal failure, also affect the body’s ability to regular temperature.

    Drugs

    Alcohol ingestion and an overdose of barbiturates can induce mild to moderate hypothermia as a result of vasodilation, lowered metabolism, and central nervous system effects.

    » READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

    Source: Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series, 2007


     » Next page: Risk Factors for Hypothermia

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