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Aetiology

Authoring team

The cause(s) of hypothermia in any patient should be investigated vigorously. The aetiology includes:

  • decreased heat production:
    • hypopituitarism
    • hypothyroidism
    • severe malnutrition
    • hypoglycaemia
    • inactivity

  • increased loss of heat:
    • exposure
    • erythroderma
    • Paget's disease
    • alcoholic intoxication

  • derangement of thermoregulation:
    • pneumonia
    • septicaemia
    • myocardial infarction
    • heart failure
    • peritonitis

  • central causes:
    • drugs:
      • barbiturates
      • phenothiazines
    • diabetic ketoacidosis
  • neurological diseases e.g. Wernicke's encephalopathy

  • autonomic dysfunction:
    • diabetes mellitus
    • Parkinson's disease
    • Shy-Drager syndrome

  • combination of above e.g. general anaesthesia with surgery

 

Reference

  1. Brown DJ, Brugger H, Boyd J, et al. Accidental hypothermia. N Engl J Med. 2012 Nov 15;367(20):1930-8.

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