虽然低体温在严寒地区较为常见,但在气候温和的地区也有低体温病例的报告。[2]MacDonell JE, Wrenn K. Hypothermia in the summer. South Med J. 1991 Jun;84(6):804-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2052983?tool=bestpractice.com[3]Burke WP. A case report of warm weather accidental hypothermia. J Miss State Med Assoc. 2004 Sep;45(9):263-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15473218?tool=bestpractice.com 在英国,低体温相关死亡例数大约为300例/年,而在加拿大,低体温的年死亡例数为8000。[4]Mallet ML. Pathophysiology of accidental hypothermia. QJM. 2002 Dec;95(12):775-85.https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/95/12/775/1572021http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12454320?tool=bestpractice.com
虽然美国的数据显示无家可归者因药物相关原因和低体温而具有过早死亡的风险,但实际的低体温相关死亡率却难以获得。[5]Hwang S. Mortality among men using homeless shelters in Toronto, Ontario. JAMA. 2000 Apr 26;283(16):2152-7.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/192620http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10791509?tool=bestpractice.com[6]Barrow SM, Herman DB, Córdova P, et al. Mortality among homeless shelter residents in New York City. Am J Public Health. 1999 Apr;89(4):529-34.http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.89.4.529http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10191796?tool=bestpractice.com[7]Hwang SW, Orav EJ, O'Connell JJ, et al. Causes of death in homeless adults in Boston. Ann Intern Med. 1997 Apr 15;126(8):625-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9103130?tool=bestpractice.com 在美国,每年平均约有700人死于意外低体温。[8]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hypothermia-related deaths - United States, 2003-2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005 Feb 25;54(7):173-5.https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5407a4.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15729219?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hypothermia-related deaths - United States, 2003. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004 Mar 5;53(8):172-3.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15001877?tool=bestpractice.com 美国在 1999 年至 2002 年期间报告的低体温相关死亡病例中,年龄在 65 岁或以上的病例占 49%,男性占 67%。多数死亡病例与工作无关 (63%),23% 的患者在家中死亡。低体温症在每年 10 月至次年 3 月期间最常见。[10]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed mortality, 1999-2015. CDC WONDER On-line Database. 2017 [internet publication].https://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html