Protecting your elderly patient from winter's cold.

A recent study in England indicated that people prone to orthostatic hypotension are at increased risk of developing accidental hypothermia. Thus, a history of orthostatic hypotension might be prudently viewed as a risk factor. Symptoms are insidious. Since the sensation of cold seems to disappear after the core temperature falls below 95 degrees F, the recognition of cold is transient at best, and often minimal, once the patient is in the hypothermia range.