The hazards of exposure to cold on board, part 2
By Gino C. Bottino, M.D
In the last article, I discussed localized cold exposure syndromes in which a specific body part becomes cold but the rest of the body remains warmer. This article discusses generalized cold exposure, hypothermia, caused by a drop in the body’s core temperature.
Both localized and generalized cold exposure syndromes can exist in a patient at the same time, but treatment is quite different: Localized cold exposure is treated with immediate re-warming, while hypothermia must be slowly reversed.