A 56-year-old female has generalized weakness and has been outside all night in 40 degrees F weather. She is shivering and her hands are cold to the touch. To determine if she has hypothermia, you should:

• A. Take Her Oral Temperature
• B. Ask Her How Long She’s Been Outside
• C. Ask Her to Walk a Straight Line to Test Balance
• D. Insert Your Hand Below Her Clothing and Feel Her Abdomen

Answer: (D)

When someone has been exposed to cold and is shivering, you confirm hypothermia by measuring the patient’s temperature, not by relying on how their skin feels or by asking only exposure questions. Core temperature readings are the most reliable way to diagnose hypothermia in the field. Use a thermometer—rectal temperature provides a close estimate of core temp, with axillary as a practical alternative when a more invasive method isn’t available. Do not attempt to determine temperature by feeling the abdomen or other body areas under clothing; such palpation does not reliably indicate core temperature and can delay appropriate care. In addition to temperature measurement, monitor mental status, signs of shivering, and vital signs, and implement active warming and rapid transport as indicated.