A core body temperature of less than 95(F represents hypothermia. The elderly, because of defective heat conservation, decreased heat production, medications, idiosyncratic responses to illness, susceptibility to diseases that disrupt neuroendocrine function, malnutrition, and substandard housing are at increased risk for hypothermia. Among the elderly, hypothermia substantially increases morbidity and mortality.A major obstacle to detecting hypotherinia is the lack of accurate low-reading thermometers. Measuring core body temperature from the temperature of freshly voided urine has long been advocated as the best means to screen for hypothermia; unfortunately, low-reading urinary thermometers do not exist.The purpose of this project is to develop a lowreading urinary thermometer for detecting hypothermia. Goals of Phase I are to develop and test in vitro a chemical temperature sensor to detect fluid temperatures of 95(F or greater. In Phase II, prototype low-reading urinary thermometers to measure temperatures between 90( and 95(F in 0.5( increments will be produced and tested in subjects at risk for hypothermia.National Institute on Aging (NIA)
