A casualty showing loss of shivering and mental status changes due to cold corresponds to which stage?

• A. Stage 1
• B. Stage 2
• C. Stage 3
• D. Stage 4

Answer: (C)

Progression in hypothermia is read from how the body’s heat-preserving defenses are functioning and the level of consciousness. Shivering is an early defensive response; when it stops, it means the body's thermoregulatory effort is failing. If mental status also declines—confusion, drowsiness, or reduced responsiveness—that signals the brain is being affected by the cold and the condition is now severe. This combination is characteristic of Stage III hypothermia, the stage where the casualty is typically unconscious with slowed vital signs and requires urgent rewarming and medical care. (Stage I is mild with shivering and alertness; Stage II has shivering but impaired coordination; Stage IV implies apparent death.)