Which sign indicates that a person is potentially suffering from hypothermia?

The sign indicating that a person is potentially suffering from hypothermia is pale skin with an altered mental state. Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing the core body temperature to drop significantly. As the body temperature decreases, various physiological and psychological changes can occur.

Pale skin often results from reduced blood flow as the body prioritizes maintaining temperature in vital organs, leading to constricted blood vessels. Additionally, as hypothermia progresses, it affects cognitive functions, resulting in confusion, drowsiness, or an altered mental state. This is a critical sign of severe hypothermia, which requires immediate medical attention.

In contrast, the other options do not align with hypothermia symptoms. Warm skin with fever suggests overheating or infection rather than a cold-related condition. Persistent sweating and red skin are typically associated with heat-related illnesses rather than hypothermia. Cold skin with normal mental clarity does not present the concerning cognitive effects typically seen in hypothermia, as mental clarity is often compromised as body temperature continues to drop.