Hypothermia can kill. It most often afflicts people who have been shipwrecked or lost in the woods. It isn’t a treatment you would expect to receive in hospital. It is, however, becoming a common and useful method to prevent severe brain damage in patients that have suffered unconsciousness due a lack of oxygenated blood—such as those who have suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

This article shall explore the what, when, why and how, of this (relatively) new therapy.

What

The term is not that common, but usually understood by the general public. It comes from hypo - meaning below, and the Greek thermē - for heat. It describes a normally dangerous situation where the body temperature is lower than normal. (There is also another very similar word hyperthermia, which has the same origins, except hyper means beyond, and describes higher than normal body temperature.)

TORONTO, ON–The Government of Ontario is empowering youth to save lives through a major commitment to the ACT Foundation to support the establishment of defibrillator training in Ontario high schools.

A $1.4 million investment from the province will help the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation train teachers to teach students how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). It will support the placement of defibrillators in Ontario high schools and the purchase of mannequins and other training materials. An unprecedented number of young people will be trained through this initiative.  

“This is a valuable learning opportunity for students — and can help our communities. Young people who are trained and ready to act could save a life,” says Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.