Epidemiology Between 1995 and 2004 in the United States, an average of 1560 cold-related emergency department visits occurred per year and in the years 1999 to 2004, an average of 647 people died per year due to hypothermia.
Therefore, when you're in the field and not in a professional medical facility determining what stage of hypothermia a person is in is often based on indirect observation of their behavior, sensation, and external signs.
Warming the stomach through a cavity lavage, or stomach pump, in which a warm saltwater solution pumps into the stomach, can also help.
Dementia, or memory loss that often occurs with communication and comprehension difficulties, can also increase the risk of hypothermia.
It is important to recognize cold-induced numb sensations in hands and feet as a sign that frostbite is not far behind.
Last medically reviewed on December 21, 2021 Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.