The office of the state medical examiner announced on Tuesday that the recent deaths two Marylanders due in part to hypothermia.
Both victims were men. The first, a Baltimore County resident, died on Nov. 6 from hypothermia complications, cirrhosis of the liver and acute alcohol intoxication.
The second, an Eastern Shore resident, died on Nov. 20 from cardiovascular disease complicated by hypothermia and drowning.
A person with hypothermia may appear disoriented, shiver uncontrollably and report numbness or fatigue.
His or her skin would be cold, pale, bluish or puffy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Abnormally slow breathing, slurred speech and loss of coordination are other symptoms of the cold-weather affliction.
Hypothermia occurs when the body cannot generate enough heat to increase deadly body temperatures that drop below 95 degrees, the CDC Web site states.
Exposure to frosty temperatures and cold, damp environments can cause the life-threatening condition.
For a hypothermia patient, the CDC recommends seeking emergency medical treatment immediately.
The person should be moved out of the cold but not massaged or rubbed because of the risk of cardiac arrest.
Hypothermia was a factor in 57 deaths in Maryland during the 2005-06 winter season, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
