Neurological manifestations of accidental hypothermia

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In a series of 97 patients with accidental hypothermia, alcohol abuse and Wernicke's encephalopathy were prominent causes. Pulse, systolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate were all found to decline with decreasing temperature, and there were significant changes (p < 0.01) in level of consciousness, pupillary response, reflexes, and muscle tone. However, even in the lowest temperature range (20° to 27°C, or 68° to 80°F), 6 of 18 patients remained verbally responsive and 10 had intact reflexes. Neither eye movement abnormalities nor extensor plantar responses correlated directly with the degree of hypothermia.