Hypothermia

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hypothermia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the diagnostic threshold?Core body temperature below 95°F (35°C) defines hypothermia
2. What is the rewarming complications?Risk of 'afterdrop' and cardiac arrhythmias necessitates careful, gradual rewarming
3. How does the body try to stay warm when it’s cold?First, your body tightens blood vessels near the skin to keep heat inside. Then it starts shivering, which is fast muscle movement that makes heat. Your nervous system also releases adrenaline to help warm you up.
4. What happens to your body when it gets very cold?Mild hypothermia can make you feel shaky and sleepy. Moderate hypothermia can stop shivering, make you want to take off clothes, and cause confusion or slurred speech. Severe hypothermia can make you faint, slow your heart, and even stop your heart.

Thermoregulation: The body's ability to maintain a stable internal temperature despite external changes.
Vasoconstriction: The narrowing of blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the skin to conserve heat.
Ventricular Fibrillation: A life-threatening heart rhythm where the ventricles quiver chaotically, preventing effective blood pumping.