Table 2 Causes of hypothermia (from [10])
From: Association between thymoma and persistent hypothermia: a case report
Likely Mechanism | Cause of Hypothermia |
|---|---|
Decreased heat production | Hypothyroidism |
| Â | Hypopituitarism |
| Â | Hypoadrenalism |
| Â | Malnutrition |
| Â | Hypoglycemia |
| Â | Neuromuscular inefficiency |
Increased heat loss | Accidental (exposure to cold ambient temperature) |
| Â | Drug-induced vasodilatation |
| Â | Burns |
| Â | Exfoliative dermatitis |
| Â | Severe psoriasis |
| Â | Iatrogenic (e.g. treatment of pyrexia, large volume infusions of non-warmed fluid) |
Impaired thermoregulation | Central nervous system trauma |
| Â | Acute spinal cord transection |
| Â | Stroke/Intracranial haemorrhage |
| Â | Central nervous system tumour |
| Â | Parkinson's disease |
| Â | Multiple sclerosis |
| Â | Wernicke's disease |
Combination of mechanisms | Sepsis |
| Â | Ethanol intoxication |
| Â | Hypnotics |
| Â | Phenothiazines |