Pa. Hospital Treats Patient for Hypothermia

Jan. 10--The region's recent arctic blast has caused at least one person to be hospitalized with hypothermia, a dangerously low body temperature.

A patient was taken to UPMC Hamot on Wednesday afternoon and remained there Thursday, said Ferdinando Mirarchi, D.O., Hamot's medical director of emergency medicine.

"It's a pretty significant case," Mirarchi said when asked if the patient's condition was life-threatening. No other details were available due to patient-privacy laws.

It is the only case reported so far at either Hamot or Saint Vincent Hospital during this cold snap. Each hospital usually sees a couple of hypothermia cases during the winter.

Hypothermia occurs when a person loses heat more quickly than the body can produce it. Severe cases can lead to cardiac arrest, coma and death.

Though hypothermia can happen almost any time of year, it is more common during the winter. The body has a more difficult time maintaining heat when the temperature or wind chill falls below zero.

"The warning signs of hypothermia can go unrecognized by the person," said Wayne Jones, D.O., Saint Vincent's medical director of emergency medicine. "That's because one of the early symptoms is an altered mental status, so the person might be confused and do something like sit down while they are outside."

Besides confusion, other symptoms include drowsiness, weakness and loss of coordination, pale and cold skin, uncontrollable shivering, and slowed breathing or heart rate.

Certain people are more likely to develop hypothermia. They include the very old and very young, those who are outside for long periods of time, those with mental or chronic illnesses, and those who are on prescription medications or who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"If you see someone out in this weather acting confused or dressed inappropriately, you need to contact the police," Jones said.

The treatment for hypothermia depends on its severity, Mirarchi said.

"We use warming blankets and warm (intravenous) fluids for milder cases," Mirarchi said. "If it's an extreme case, we have more aggressive treatments."

One treatment for more severe cases is to place the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine, so doctors can warm the patient's blood and circulate it.

Both Mirarchi and Jones said they realize people will head outside in cold weather, but they should take appropriate precautions.

"Make sure you cover all exposed skin, including your hands, ears and head," Mirarchi said. "If you plan on doing an outdoor sport, buddy up in pairs and tell someone else where you are going."

DAVID BRUCE can be reached at 870-1736 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNbruce.

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