Hypothermia results from excessive cooling of the body core. It is important to remember that hypothermia can affect any person. Often, hypothermia is only thought of in the context of outdoor activities like tramping, but other people can also experience this condition – e.g. elderly people after a fall in a cold house or garden, sports people exposed to the cold for a period of time.

Prvention is the best cure for hypothermia. For outdoor activities, adequate clothing, frequent rests for drinks/snacks are important.

• Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
• Cold environment
• Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
• Cold environment
• Tiredness – patient may fall behind others in outdoor activities
• Clumsy, uncoordinated, may fall over and appear drunk
• Changes in mood with irritability, irrational behaviour
• Patient may resist help
• Slow to respond to questions
• Shivering may decrease and stop – this is a critical sign
• Loss of consciousness
• Pale or blueish skin colour

• Provide immediate shelter out of the wind, and dry clothing
• If fully conscious, give warm drinks, sweets, chocolates etc
• Use body contact to reduce heat loss and slowly warm patient – e.g. huddle around the patient in a sleeping bag
• If hypothermia is mild, and rest, warmth, drinks etc. allow recovery, there is no need for further medical assistance. But monitor the patient and any others in the group
• If hypothermia has reached the stage where the patient is becoming drowsy, urgent medical assistance is required.

To test your knowledge and learn the basics of giving First Aid, why not try our free fun online programme at everydayhero.org.nz? For comprehensive First Aid information please refer to the St John Emergency Handbook. You can also ensure you are ready to help by completing a St John First Aid course.