A Rare Case of a Patient Being Alert and Communicative Despite Severe Hypothermia

Abstract

Hypothermia is defined as a significant drop in core body temperature below 35°C (95°F). It is traditionally staged as mild, moderate, severe, and profound at temperatures of 35°C to 32°C (95°F to 89.6°F), 32°C to 28°C (89.6°F to 82.4°F), <28°C (<82.4°F), and <24°C (75.2°F), respectively. It can also be classified into the same stages by clinical presentations. We present a patient that fits into two different stages based on core body temperature and clinical presentation. 

A 58-year-old homeless male with a history of seizures and alcohol use presented via emergency medical services after spending the night outside and uncovered with a core body temperature of 25.1°C (77.1°F) via a urinary bladder thermometer, meeting criteria for severe, near profound, hypothermia. However, he was alert and communicating, shivering, with tachycardia, tachypnea, normal oxygen saturation, and elevated blood pressure, suggestive of mild hypothermia clinically. Passive and active external and internal rewarming were utilized to treat, with the removal of wet clothing, forced air patient warming system, warm blankets, and warm lactated ringers given intravenously. He was soon transferred to the intensive care unit and first returned to normothermic levels after approximately 10 hours from presentation. An electrocardiogram was obtained after resolution of shivering and revealed atrial fibrillation without Osborn waves. He remained in the hospital for the following week to treat his atrial fibrillation, hypothermia-induced rhabdomyolysis, and alcohol withdrawal. He was discharged without neurologic deficits and medically stable with appropriate resources. 

This case demonstrates a unique presentation of severe hypothermia. To our knowledge, there has not been a reported case of severe hypothermia that does not involve severe central nervous system depression, severe slowing of vitals, and/or comatose status. These clinical symptoms normally begin during moderate hypothermic levels near 32°C (89.6°F), yet our patient presented without any central nervous system depression and with accelerated vitals that are more consistent with mild hypothermia yet had a core temperature of 25.1°C (77.1°F). Treatment was dictated by his core body temperature rather than clinical presentation. Because of this incongruence between symptoms and true severity of disease in hypothermia, we recommend diagnosis and treatment of hypothermia always be confirmed and based on core body temperature via a low-reading thermometer instead of clinical presentation alone.