Word Meaning of Medical term - Accidental Hypothermia
Hypothermia is one of the leading causes of death especially in the elderly and in people living in the colder areas of the Earth. This article presents a brief excerpt of the definition of Hypothermia and the accidental subtype of Hypothermia.Accidental Hypothermia
Accidental Hypothermia means an decrease of temperature of the body by a steep quantity to less than 34.4° C or 94° F.
Sudden decrease of temperature can start at weather temperatures around 15.5° C, that is, 60° F but it has also been observed that fall of temperature in older patients can also occur at normal room temperature with mildly cool environments.
The United States of America have reported a scanty rate of occurence of disease states due to Hypothermia and another case study in 2 hospitals at London showed a 3.6% incidence in people above 65 years of age in three winter months.
As such, no definitive values or pathological findings have been reported regarding deaths because of Hypothermia.
Also it has been difficult to observe the temperature at which death occurred in the person who died because of hypothermia, because the corpses when discovered are already cold.
Malnourished patients are more susceptible to die because of Hypothermia and the patients accordingly well nourished and stay in normal temperature environments with good heat generation can lead a better life and are prevented from deaths because of Hypothermia.
Patients with diabetes have a six times more susceptibility towards death from Hypothermia.