Preliminary Engagement
First Aid Australia
We are currently in discussions with First Aid Australia and are exploring potential opportunities to work together. Further updates will be provided if formal arrangements are confirmed.
Number of recorded cold-exposure deaths in the state
Hypothermia statistics in Victoria
Hypothermia statistics in Victoria
Public Victoria-wide hypothermia data are limited, but the clearest figures available show that Victoria recorded 4 deaths in 2023 from “exposure to excessive natural cold” (ICD-10 code X31). The same ABS table also shows 4 deaths in 2022 and 4 deaths in 2020, suggesting a small but persistent number of recorded cold-exposure deaths in the state.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
For hospitalisations, the strongest published data are usually grouped as “extreme cold” injuries rather than hypothermia alone. AIHW reports 773 extreme-cold injury hospitalisations across Australia from July 2012 to June 2022. These records include diagnoses such as hypothermia, frostbite, and other effects of reduced temperature, when linked to excessive natural cold (X31).
AIHW
A widely cited summary of the AIHW data notes that Victoria had 51 extreme-cold hospitalisations between 2019–20 and 2021–22, the highest count of any state over that period. Because that figure is for extreme cold injuries, it should not be treated as hypothermia-only, but it is still useful as the best recent state-level indicator of serious cold-related harm.
UNSW Sites
For emergency department evidence, a Melbourne health-network study found 226 hypothermia emergency presentations among 217 patients between 7 July 2009 and 1 September 2016. The median age was 76.5 years, and the study reported an inpatient mortality rate of 11%, showing that hypothermia presentations in Victoria are often associated with older and medically vulnerable patients.
Research Management Monash
Summary: in Victoria, published statewide hypothermia-specific numbers are sparse, but the available evidence shows 4 recorded cold-exposure deaths in 2023, 51 serious extreme-cold hospitalisations in 2019–20 to 2021–22, and a Melbourne study documenting 226 hypothermia ED presentations over several years.
