Which statement about hypothermia stages and rewarming in backcountry care is true?

Which statement about hypothermia stages and rewarming in backcountry care is true?

• A. Mild hypothermia (32-35°C) is marked by shivering and should be treated with immediate active internal rewarming.
• B. Moderate hypothermia (28-32°C) includes severe shivering and poor coordination; begin with passive warming only.
• C. Severe hypothermia (<28°C) presents with little or no shivering; rewarming should start with passive warming and progress to active external rewarming for moderate to severe cases; avoid rough handling; monitor for afterdrop.
• D. All stages respond identically to rewarming and require the same approach.

Answer: (C)

In hypothermia, how you rewarm depends on how cold the person is and what their body is doing. When core temperatures drop below about 28°C, people often have little or no shivering because the body’s heat production is failing. In this situation the safest field approach is to start with passive warming—remove wet clothes, insulate, and move the person to a warmer environment if possible. Then progress to active external rewarming (such as heat packs and warmed blankets placed on the chest, neck, and other large areas) because the person’s own heat production isn’t enough to raise the core temperature quickly enough. Avoid rough handling, since agitation or rapid movement can provoke dangerous heart rhythms in someone with severe hypothermia. Also monitor for afterdrop, a drop in core temperature that can occur as cold blood from the limbs returns to the core during rewarming. This matches the statement because it correctly ties little or no shivering to severe hypothermia and emphasizes starting with passive warming and advancing to active external rewarming for more serious cases, while avoiding rough handling and watching for afterdrop. The other ideas are not correct: mild hypothermia is typically treated with passive plus gentle external warming rather than immediate internal rewarming; moderate hypothermia usually requires more than passive warming and can involve active external warming; and all stages do not respond identically to rewarming.

In hypothermia, how you rewarm depends on how cold the person is and what their body is doing. When core temperatures drop below about 28°C, people often have little or no shivering because the body’s heat production is failing. In this situation the safest field approach is to start with passive warming—remove wet clothes, insulate, and move the person to a warmer environment if possible. Then progress to active external rewarming (such as heat packs and warmed blankets placed on the chest, neck, and other large areas) because the person’s own heat production isn’t enough to raise the core temperature quickly enough. Avoid rough handling, since agitation or rapid movement can provoke dangerous heart rhythms in someone with severe hypothermia. Also monitor for afterdrop, a drop in core temperature that can occur as cold blood from the limbs returns to the core during rewarming.

This matches the statement because it correctly ties little or no shivering to severe hypothermia and emphasizes starting with passive warming and advancing to active external rewarming for more serious cases, while avoiding rough handling and watching for afterdrop. The other ideas are not correct: mild hypothermia is typically treated with passive plus gentle external warming rather than immediate internal rewarming; moderate hypothermia usually requires more than passive warming and can involve active external warming; and all stages do not respond identically to rewarming.