title: Fatal hypothermia: an analysis from a sub-arctic region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence as well as contributing factors to fatal hypothermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, registry-based analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases of fatal hypothermia were identified in the database of the National Board of Forensic Medicine for the 4 northernmost counties of Sweden and for the study period 1992-2008. Police reports, medical records and autopsy protocols were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 207 cases of fatal hypothermia were noted during the study period, giving an annual incidence of 1.35 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seventy-two percent occurred in rural areas, and 93% outdoors. Many (40%) were found within approximately 100 meters of a building. The majority (75%) occurred during the colder season (October to March). Some degree of paradoxical undressing was documented in 30%. Ethanol was detected in femoral vein blood in 43% of the victims. Contributing co-morbidity was common and included heart disease, earlier stroke, dementia, psychiatric disease, alcoholism, and recent trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the identification of groups at high risk for fatal hypothermia, it should be possible to reduce risk through thoughtful interventions, particularly related to the highest risk subjects (rural, living alone, alcohol-imbibing, and psychiatric diagnosis-carrying) citizens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. helge.brandstrom@vll.se
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brändström
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giesbrecht
authors.forename: Karl-Axel
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Angquist
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult