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Winter
Safety Message
The winter season is coming upon us and this has the Paramedics
thinking about cold emergencies.
Have you ever experienced hypothermia? If you have ever
shivered
from the weather, you have experienced a mild form of hypothermia. What
happens, is when your body core temperature begins to drop, the body will
compensate by increasing muscle activity (shivering) to increase metabolism
and maintain body heat. This will help from allowing the core body temperature
from dropping too low.
As with heat emergencies, young children and the elderly
are more
susceptible to cold emergencies. Those with previous medical
problems might also be prone to such problems.
The patient experiencing a generalized cold emergency will
present
with cool or cold abdominal skin temperature. Place the back of
your hand against the persons abdomen to assess the general
temperature of the patient. In healthy adults, the abdomen should
be warm, dry and pink.
First
Aid Tips For Cold Emergencies:
• Make sure someone calls 911.
• Remove the person from the cold environment, but do not allow
them to walk or exert themselves in any way.
• Protect the person from further heat loss.
• Remove any wet clothing and place a blanket over the person.
Remember to handle the person gently.
• Comfort the person and reassure them. Do not give the person
anything to eat or drink (including hot coffee, tea or alcohol).
Content updated on:
20-Dec-2004
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