Which of the following is a common complication of late hypothermia?

• A. Aspiration
• B. Seizures
• C. Hypotension
• D. Arrhythmia

Answer: (B)

Seizures in late hypothermia reflect brain injury that accumulates with prolonged cold exposure and the metabolic derangements seen during rewarming. As the body remains severely chilled, the brain’s electrical activity becomes increasingly unstable, and shifts in electrolytes and glucose during the later stages or during rewarming can trigger convulsions. This late CNS complication is a recognized pattern in severe hypothermia, signaling that the person has sustained significant cerebral stress from the cold.

Aspiration can occur if consciousness is depressed, but it’s not a feature specific to the late stage of hypothermia. Arrhythmias and hypotension are common with hypothermia overall, due to slowed conduction and myocardial depression, but they aren’t the characteristic late CNS complication like seizures.