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
• 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.