Cold Related Emergencies
Factors That Promote
Susceptibility To Cold

Unfit (conflicting)
 >50 years and small children
 Alcohol
and caffeine
consumption
 Use of tobacco products
 Previous cold related
emergency
 Inactivity in cold
Cold Factors #2

Dehydration
 Nutrition
 Illness
 Injury
 Wind
Wet
clothing
(transfers heat from the
body)
Proper Clothing
3
layers of clothing
– Purpose is to insulate by
trapping layers of air
–
A single heavy layer
is not recommended
Additional Considerations
 Cap
– 50-60% of body’s
heat is lost through
the head
 Neck
– Site of significant
heat loss
– Gloves / Boots
Cold Related Emergencies
Hypothermia
Frostbite
Hypothermia

Core body temperature of 95 or less
 May be mild or profound (<90 degrees)
– Core temperature of 80 degrees usually results in
death
– Can occur in temps above 32 degrees

Medical emergency
– Victim may present with no heartbeat, breathing,
or response to touch or pain, but may not be dead

All victims should be evaluated by a
physician
Mild Hypothermia

Body temperature 90 to 95 degrees
– (marathon)






Shivering
Slurred speech
Memory lapses
Fumbling hands
May stumble or stagger
Usually conscious and can talk
 Cold
abdomen and back
Profound Hypothermia








Body temperature below 90 degrees (AR hunter)
Shivering has ceased
Muscles stiff and rigid
Skin appears blue
No response to pain
Pulse and respirations slowed
Pupils dilate / Victim “appears dead” / 50-80%
will die
Child in Canada, winter 2001, core body temp.
60
Hypothermia: What To Do

Stop heat loss (more on next slide)
 Call EMS
 RESCUE
EXAMINE
INSULATE
TRANSPORT
 Check ABC’s
– Take pulse for 30-45 seconds
 Always
try to re-warm in a
hospital
Hypothermia: Stop Heat Loss
 Remove
from cold environment
 Use blankets, towels, pillows,
newspapers to wrap around victim
 Cover head
Replace
wet clothing
Hypothermia: Handling The
Victim
 Gentle
handling
– Roughness could cause cardiac arrest
 Keep
victim horizontal
– Elevating legs would shunt cold blood to the core of the
body
 Victim
should not walk or exercise do not massage the body
– These actions could drive cold blood into the torso
resulting in temperature after-drop
Hypothermia
 Controversial:
– Body to body contact
– Warm drinks
 Do
not consume unmelted snow and ice
– Lowers body temperature
– Sometimes, that’s your
only choice
Hypothermia and CPR
 Do not start CPR if:
– Body temperature 60 degrees or below
– Frozen chest
– Lethal injury
– Rescurer is endangered
– Always take pulse for 30-45
seconds
Frostbite (frozen tissue)
Freezes
deep
into the skin
Mainly
affects feet,
hands, ears,
nose
Frostbite: How Damage
Occurs
 Freezing
of tissue
– Ice crystals form between tissue cells
 Obstruction
of blood supply to
tissues
 “Sludged” blood clots form
 More damaging than ice crystals
Frostbite: Signs and
Symptoms (pre-thaw)
 White,
waxy or grayish-yellow
skin
 Pain followed by no feeling
 Affected part is very cold or
numb
 Hard or crusty skin
– Post-thaw resembles burn stages
First Aid: Re-warming

1. Medical center

2. Rapid (wet) re-warming:
– Preferred re-warming method outside of hospital
setting in water temperatures around 103 to 105.

3. Slow re-warming:
– involves warming body to body, arm pit, etc.

Do not re-warm with a heating-pad, stove
or over a fire
Rapid Re-Warming
 NEVER
 Place
RUB FROZEN TISSUE
body parts in water 102 to 105
(20 to 40 minutes)
 Do not re-warm if there is a chance
of re-freezing