Biomaterial Database

An unusual case of accidental hypothermia due to cold water immersion. 1989

M B McGee

Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102.

Accidental deaths due to hypothermia most commonly result from exposure to low environmental temperature. Generally, a cold climatic condition is present in a severe environmental setting. A case report is presented of a 58-year-old man who died from accidental hypothermia associated with immersion in cold water while on a farm during warm weather. The importance of an adequate death scene investigation is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007035	Hypothermia	Lower than normal body temperature, especially in warm-blooded animals.	Hypothermia, Accidental,Accidental Hypothermia,Accidental Hypothermias,Hypothermias,Hypothermias, Accidental
D007101	Immersion	The placing of a body or a part thereof into a liquid.	Submersion,Immersions,Submersions
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D003080	Cold Temperature	An absence of warmth or heat or a temperature notably below an accustomed norm.	Cold,Cold Temperatures,Temperature, Cold,Temperatures, Cold
D005618	Fresh Water	Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES.	Freshwater,Fresh Waters,Freshwaters,Water, Fresh,Waters, Fresh
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012621	Seasons	Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D014867	Water	A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. The chemical formula is hydrogen oxide (H2O). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Hydrogen Oxide