What can hypothermia lead to?

Hypothermia can lead to several severe medical conditions, including:

- Cardiac arrest. Hypothermia can interfere with the heart's electrical activity, causing it to beat irregularly (arrhythmia) and, in severe cases, stop beating (cardiac arrest).

- Respiratory failure. Shallow, slow breathing may not provide enough oxygen to the body's tissues, causing respiratory failure.

- Coma. Hypothermia can cause the brain to become depressed and eventually stop working altogether, leading to a coma.

- Death. untreated, severe hypothermia can lead to death.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency. If you suspect someone is experiencing hypothermia, call 911 immediately. While waiting for help to arrive, take steps to warm the person up, such as:

- removing any wet clothing

- covering the person with blankets

- applying warm water bottles to the person's armpits and groin

- giving the person warm fluids to drink, if they are conscious and able to swallow

- performing CPR, if the person is not breathing or has no pulse