Aetiology
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
- drugs:
- 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
- Brown DJ, Brugger H, Boyd J, et al. Accidental hypothermia. N Engl J Med. 2012 Nov 15;367(20):1930-8.
Related pages
- Hypopituitarism
- Hypothyroidism
- Malnutrition
- Hypoglycaemia
- Paget's disease of bone
- Erythroderma
- Pneumonia
- Septicaemia
- Congestive heart failure
- Myocardial infarction
- Peritonitis
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- Barbiturates
- Phenothiazines
- Wernicke's encephalopathy
- Diabetes mellitus
- Parkinson's disease
- Shy-Drager syndrome
- Operating theatre hypothermia
- Hypothermia in neonates
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.