The Region : Diabetic, Found in Chilly Van, in Coma

A diabetic man was in a coma at a Compton medical center two days after he was found unconscious and suffering from hypothermia inside an air-conditioned van. The 42-year-old man, whose name was not released, was in “critical and possibly deteriorating condition,” said Dr. Daniel Fisher of Dominguez Medical Center. The man reportedly had been in the chilly van for about 24 hours when he was found by paramedics. A medical center spokeswoman said his body temperature was 8.6 degrees lower than normal when he arrived. It was not clear why he lost consciousness, but Fisher said the man may have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning because he had been on his way to the hospital for medical treatment and the van’s engine had been running for a long period.