Young children and older adults have more difficulty in regulating their body temperature.Older adults are particularly at risk of hypothermia. Often, they keep their homes at below recommended temperatures to reduce heating costs. This, combined with immobility, makes them even more susceptible in the cold weather. Betty Sue, who is 70 years old and lives in the country with her husband Fred, decides to make the trek to the mailbox her daily exercise
Young children and older adults have more difficulty in regulating their body temperature.Older adults are
particularly at risk of hypothermia. Often, they keep their homes at below recommended temperatures to
reduce heating costs. This, combined with immobility, makes them even more susceptible in the cold
weather.
Betty Sue, who is 70 years old and lives in the country with her husband Fred, decides to make the trek to
the mailbox her daily exercise routine. After all, they live out in the country,the doctor is ALWAYS on her
to exercise more, so this is the best she can do. It is a cold, blustery January afternoon and after Fred once
again won the Final Jeopardy question, she decided it was time to get some fresh air by heading out to the
mailbox. The long driveway seemed to get longer and longer as she moved. “This walk isn’t usually this
hard,” she thinks to herself. But, she can’t turn back now. Fred will want to be sure she picked up that latest
Almanac that was to arrive today and she’d just have to head back out if she comes home empty handed. As
she continues, she realizes that she forgot to take her thyroid medicationthis morning, but she would be
sure to do that as soon as she got back to the house. Before her hypothyroidism was diagnosed, her
energy level had been going down faster than the stock market. The thyroid hormone pill had really
helped, but it was hard to keep up with allthose darn medications.
She can do this, she thinks to herself. But she begins to get disoriented as she is on her way back to the
house. She can’t remember if she is heading towards the mailbox or the house. Oh, how cold she is!
Betty Sue looks at her fingers, they are so cold she can hardly feel them.
The next things she knows, she sees the stark white walls and hears familiar beeping noises.She is in the
emergency room and Fred is smiling but shaking his head as he rubs her hand.How did this happen?
What went wrong? I was just getting the mail? I was just getting exercise.
Hypothyroidism and age contributed to Betty Sue’s thermoregulatory difficulties.
1. How does a lack of thyroid hormone contribute to hypothermia?
2. Please draw a comparison chart between mild hypothermia and profound hypothermia
include blood temperature, behavioral responses, symptoms and signs, and treatment.
(Be very detailed in your answers, with step by step.)
Step by step
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