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Number of New Mexico hypothermia deaths overnight called 'unusual'

By Caleb Fort
Saturday, January 19, 2008

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Five New Mexicans who died Thursday night and Friday morning were probably killed by hypothermia, the Office of the Medical Investigator says.

Two of the men were from Albuquerque, one from Kirtland, one from Belen and one from Taos.

"It's definitely unusual that we got so many in such a short period of time," said Tim Stepetic, associate director of the office. "I can remember having two in one day before, but to have five is just awful."

The men's ages ranged from 37 to 99, and at least one of them was homeless, the office said in a news release.

Elderly and homeless people and people with drug or alcohol problems are at the greatest risk for hypothermia, Stepetic said.

All three of those factors played into Thursday's deaths, he said.

"They get into a cold situation, they're underdressed, and before they can get their way out of it, they've already been compromised," Stepetic said.

Temperatures in Albuquerque dropped to 17 degrees early Friday morning, and 9 below zero in Taos.

The temperature was 5 degrees overnight Thursday in Los Lunas, the closest weather reporting station to Belen, and 4 below zero in Farmington, the closest station to Kirtland.

Hypothermia, which is defined as a body temperature below 95 degrees, can cause shivering, exhaustion, slurred speech and drowsiness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Severe hypothermia - immediately life-threatening - occurs when the body's core temperature falls below 87 degrees.

Stepetic, who has lived in Alaska, said New Mexico's usually pleasant climate might have contributed to the deaths.

"We don't have the mind-set here," he said. "People in cold places get ready for the winter, and they take it seriously. Here we just shrug it off."

The CDC reports that in the United States, about 600 people die every year from hypothermia.

Stepetic said the state office does not track hypothermia deaths.

But exposure deaths - which include deaths by heat and cold - have been on the rise, he said:

In 2004, there were 26.

In 2005, there were 37.

And in 2006, the most recent statistics available, there were 46 exposure deaths, Stepetic said.

He estimated that about 80 percent of exposure deaths in New Mexico are from hypothermia.

Anyone with signs of hypothermia should have their temperature taken, and should get medical care immediately if the body temperature is below 95 degrees, the CDC says.

If medical care is not available, the CDC recommends the following steps:

Take the person into a warm room or shelter.

Remove any wet clothing.

Warm the chest, neck and groin using an electric blanket. If an electric blanket is not available, use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry blankets, towels or clothing.

Warm beverages can help, but do not give alcoholic beverages or try to give liquids to an unconscious person.

Once the victim has warmed up, keep them wrapped in a blanket and get medical help as soon as possible.

If the person is not breathing and does not have a pulse, they might still be alive. Perform CPR while warming them up.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.