In the Lethal Triad, which component is defined by low body temperature?

In the Lethal Triad, which component is defined by low body temperature?

• A. Acidosis
• B. Coagulopathy
• C. Hypothermia
• D. Hyperthermia

Answer: (C)

Low body temperature defines hypothermia, the temperature-related component of the Lethal Triad. In trauma, hypothermia diminishes the activity of the coagulation cascade and impairs platelet function, making clot formation sluggish and bleeding harder to control. As temperature falls, enzymatic reactions in clotting factors slow down, so coagulopathy worsens. This bleeding and poor perfusion also feed into metabolic processes that lead to acidosis, and the cycle reinforces the triad’s deadly interaction. The other terms describe different problems: acidosis is a low pH from increased lactate, and coagulopathy is impaired clotting itself; hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature. Managing and preventing hypothermia with warming measures is a key strategy to interrupt this vicious cycle.

Low body temperature defines hypothermia, the temperature-related component of the Lethal Triad. In trauma, hypothermia diminishes the activity of the coagulation cascade and impairs platelet function, making clot formation sluggish and bleeding harder to control. As temperature falls, enzymatic reactions in clotting factors slow down, so coagulopathy worsens. This bleeding and poor perfusion also feed into metabolic processes that lead to acidosis, and the cycle reinforces the triad’s deadly interaction. The other terms describe different problems: acidosis is a low pH from increased lactate, and coagulopathy is impaired clotting itself; hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature. Managing and preventing hypothermia with warming measures is a key strategy to interrupt this vicious cycle.