Now let's discuss cold related emergencies. These include frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite
is the body tissue which is actually frozen. Most commonly frostbite occurs after a long
time of exposure to cold on the extremities; most commonly the toes and the fingers. The affected
area will usually swell and become numb. It can appear waxy and cold to the touch. Frostbite
becomes severe when blisters form or the affected area turns black. For severe frostbite, call
911 or seek medical care as soon as possible.
Now, if you see signs of frostbite, remove the person from the cold and handle the area
as gently as possible. Do not rub the area as this can damage the tissue. Also, try not
to break blisters as this could lead to fluid loss and even lead to infection. Don't try
to re-warm the frostbitten area if there is a chance of refreezing. If it is necessary
to re-warm the area, soak it in warm water, less than 105 degrees Fahrenheit. You can
soak it for 20-30 minutes. The water shouldn't be too warm or it can cause further complications
and unmanaged severe pain. After the hands or feet have been re-warmed, keep the fingers
and the toes separated by placing gauze or cloth between them, and loosely wrap the area
with a dry gauze. Be sure to seek advanced medical care as soon as possible.
A life threatening cold related emergency is called hypothermia. This not only happen
outdoors, it can happen indoors as well. The very young and the very old can be more susceptible
in a home that is poorly heated or air-conditioned. Normally the average body temperature is 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit (or 37 degrees Celsius). Hypothermia is defined as the core body temperature
dropping below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (or 35 degrees Celsius).
In the early stage of hypothermia, the body normally gives warning signs like dizziness
or fatigue, slight confusion and shivering. Shivering is your body's attempt to re-warm
itself. These signs are telling you that your body is getting cold and it's helping it get
warm. Unfortunately, someone going into hypothermia usually isn't aware of his or her condition
because the symptoms often begin gradually and then they get worse as the person stays
in the cold environment. As hypothermia becomes severe, the shivering eventually stops and
the following signs begin to appear: Numbness, maybe some slurred speech, a glassy stare
or confusion, weakness, clumsiness, or even a lack of coordination, slow shallow breathing
and then eventually unresponsiveness.
Now, if you see signs of severe hypothermia: call 911 or your local emergency medical services
right away. Move the person to a warmer place.
Handle them gently and re-warm them slowly as long as there's no risk of them refreezing
if they have frostbite. Rough handling or rapid re-warming can cause cardiac arrest.
Remove any wet clothes, cut them away if necessary. And then dry the person, and cover them with
layers of those nice dry warm blankets Cover the person's head leaving only the face
exposed. If help will be delayed or you're far from
medical care, try to get the person near a heat source, or apply warming packs to the
chest wall, neck or their groin. If the person is conscious and can swallow,
give them warm beverages that do not contain alcohol or caffeine.
If you're outside on the ground, insulate the person from the cold ground.
Standard first aid kits often include a first aid foil type blanket. This is a great multi-purpose
piece of equipment that works very well to keep a person warm in a hypothermic emergency.
This type of emergency blanket also provides a great waterproof barrier. This is especially
helpful if a person is on the cold wet ground and you are not able to move the person to
a dry, warm area.
To properly warm a patient with a blanket: lay the blanket out on the side of the person.
Then roll the person towards you and tuck the blanket under them.
Gently roll the person back onto the blanket. Pull the blanket up and then together.
Tuck the blanket in and around body. Then Tuck the blanket around over the person's
feet and around the head, keeping the face uncovered.
If you have a regular blanket, lay that over the person too and tuck in the sides to help
maintain patient’s body temperature.
We need to monitor the person carefully while waiting for emergency medical services to
arrive. Start CPR if the person becomes unconscious and stops breathing normally.