Hypothermia may be determined clinically on the basis of vital signs with the use of the Swiss staging system.
Staging of hypothermia
| Stage | Clinical Symptoms | Core temperature |
| Hypothermia I | patient alert, shivering | about 35-32ºC [95-89,6º F] |
| Hypothermia II | patient drowsy, non-shivering | about 32-28ºC [89,6-82,4º F] |
| Hypothermia III | patient unconscious | about 28-24ºC [82,4-75,2º F] |
| Hypothermia IV | patient not breathing | < 24º C [< 75,2º F] |
Measurement of body core temperature is helpful, but not mandatory. The risk of cardiac arrest increases as the core temperature drops below 32 °C, and increases substantially if the temperature is less than 28 °C. To convert values for temperature to degrees Fahrenheit, multiply by 9/5 and add 32.
References:
- Durrer B, Brugger H, Syme D; International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine. The medical on-site treatment of hypothermia: ICAR-MEDCOM recommendation. High Alt Med Biol. 2003 Spring;4(1):99-103. [Medline]
- Brown D, Brugger H, Boyd J, Paal P. Accidental Hypothermia. N Engl J Med 2012;367:1930-1938. [Medline]
Created Nov 15, 2012
