chronic

Hypothermia

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources1 source

No dose - emergency referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified against2 documents

No dose - emergency referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care
Hypothermia - disease-level clinical article (hypothermia-clinical.txt)

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (3)

A history of substantial recent cold exposure typically precedes the presentation
Hunger, nausea and fatigue mark the earliest, mild stage of cold exposure [fatigue · nausea]
Progressive confusion with impaired memory and judgment as the core temperature falls [confusion]

Signs — what you find (6)

Increased muscle tone, blood pressure, pulse and respiration occur as the body tries to generate heat in mild cases
Once core temperature drops to 30-32 C, shivering stops and paradoxical undressing may appear
Dilated, sluggish pupils with reduced reflexes appear as CNS depression develops in the moderate stage [drowsiness · lethargy]
Hypotension, a slow pulse and slowed breathing appear as hypothermia progresses to the moderate range [bradycardia · hypotension · hypothermia]
Atrial fibrillation is the dysrhythmia most often seen as hypothermia deepens [arrhythmia · hypothermia]
In severe cases the patient becomes unresponsive as blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output keep falling [loss of consciousness]

Tests (8)

Esophageal probing in the lower third of the esophagus is the most accurate temperature method, but only once an advanced airway is placed
Oral and standard tympanic infrared thermometers can only rule hypothermia out, since most can't read below 35 C
Baseline work-up includes a finger-stick glucose, complete blood count and basic metabolic panel
Coagulation testing is unreliable unless the sample is warmed back to 37 C first
Fibrinogen is checked to exclude disseminated intravascular coagulation
An ECG is obtained in every hypothermic patient given how common conduction problems and dysrhythmias are
PR, QRS and QT intervals lengthen on the ECG, and an Osborn J wave may appear
Head CT is used when mental status is worse than the measured degree of hypothermia would explain

If not this — what else fits (3)

Sepsis, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency and hypoglycemia should be considered when the picture outpaces the measured temperature drop
Carbon monoxide exposure, undernutrition, intoxication, or an overdose of drugs can also produce or worsen a low core temperature
Beta-blockers, clonidine, antipsychotics, sedative-hypnotics, alcohol and anaesthetic drugs can blunt the body's response to cold

SourceStatPearls "Hypothermia" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (EMERGENCY REFERRAL)

1st line

Adult dose and duration

Remove wet clothing, insulate with dry blankets, provide warm sweetened drinks if fully conscious, and arrange urgent emergency transport - Immediate emergency transfer

Paediatric dose

Immediate emergency pediatric transport

Dose source

No dose - emergency referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Why

Severe hypothermia risks lethal cardiac arrhythmias during rewarming, requiring inpatient monitoring.

Cautions

Do NOT actively rewarm with direct heat like hot water bottles on skin (risks burns and shock).
Handle the patient gently to avoid precipitating ventricular fibrillation.
Check for signs of frostbite.
RED FLAG - Handle patient gently and avoid rough movement, which can precipitate fatal dysrhythmias in moderate/severe hypothermia.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.