Patients with hypertensive crises may require immediate reduction in elevated blood pressure to prevent and arrest progressive end-organ damage. The best clinical setting in which to achieve this blood pressure control is in the intensive care unit, with the use of titratable intravenous hypotensive agents.
Implementation of therapeutic hypothermia has its advantages, although complications are associated with its use. Shivering is a common complication that occurs during the induction and rewarming phases of therapeutic hypothermia. Strategies for preventing and managing shivering vary across protocols.
For the purposes of this article, we'll use the term hibernation to describe any long-term reduction in body temperature (hypothermia) and metabolism during winter months. When an animal enters a hibernationlike state during the summer, it's known as estivation. It's much less common than hibernation. Hibernation in reptiles is sometimes called brumation. It differs from mammalian hibernation because reptiles are cold-blooded -- they can't control their own body temperature, so they need to spend the winter in a place that will stay warm enough.