Accidental hypothermia in recreational activities in the mountains: A narrative review

Abstract

The popularity of recreational activities in the mountains worldwide has led to an increase in the total number of persons exposed to cold and extreme environments through recreation. There is little conclusive evidence about the risk of hypothermia for specific activities or populations, nor is it clear which activities are represented in the literature. This is a non-systematic review of accidental hypothermia in different recreational activities in the mountains, with a specific focus on outdoor or winter activities that potentially involve cold exposure. Cases of hypothermia have been reported in the literature in mountaineering, trekking, hiking, skiing, activities performed in the backcountry, ultra-endurance events, and databases from search and rescue services that include various types of recreation. Of these activities, hypothermia as a primary illness occurs most commonly during mountaineering in the highest elevation areas in the world and during recreation practiced in more northern or remote areas. Hypothermia in skiers, snowboarders, and glacier-based activities is most often associated with accidents occurring off-piste or in the backcountry (crevasse, avalanche). Organizers of outdoor events also have a role in reducing the incidence of hypothermia through medical screening and other preparedness measures. More complete collection and reporting of data on mild hypothermia and temperature measurement would improve our understanding of the incidence of hypothermia in outdoor recreation in future.

Hearables: New Perspectives and Pitfalls of In-Ear Devices for Physiological Monitoring. A Scoping Review

“…In sport science, the measurement of core T is critical when evaluating research questions related to heat production, such as heat acclimatization and body cooling, exercise intensity, and effect of different environmental conditions on physiological state and performance. Monitoring of core T can be used to guarantee intensity and safety during intense heat exercise and heat tolerance tests, and to prevent exertional heat stroke (American College of Sports Medicine et al, 2007 ) or unexpected cooling (Procter et al, 2018 ). Indeed, a decrease in core T per se may significantly impair physiological functions even in a healthy subject and should be timely detected for proper triage (Danzl and Pozos, 1994 ; Paal et al, 2018 ).…”

Monitoring body temperature during moderate intensity exercise and inactive recovery in the cold: a pilot study

“…This is a potentially life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality (Brown, Brugger, Boyd, & Paal, 2012;Haverkamp, Giesbrecht, & Tan, 2018). The incidence of accidental hypothermia in outdoor recreationists is unknown but seems to be more common in outdoor activities performed at high altitude or in remote areas (Procter, Brugger, & Burtscher, 2018). The American College of Sports Medicine and National Athletic Trainers' Association have called for raised awareness on the prevention, recognition and management of hypothermia and other cold injuries in sport (Cappaert, Stone, Castellani, Krause, Smith, & Stephens, 2008;Castellani et al, 2006).…”

Mountain Rescue in Non-Profit Organizations: Interdisciplinary Research Spectrum in Mountain Tourism

“…E. Procter, H. Brugger and M. Burtscher claim, on the basis of their research, that hypothermia cases are reported during climbing, trekking, hiking, skiing and snowboarding. Hypothermia occurs most frequently when climbing at high altitudes (Procter, Brugger, and Burtscher, 2018).…”