Hypothermia Part 4 – Dealing with Hypothermia
This is the last article about Hypothermia, and the most important one. In this article I will explain how to deal with Hypothermia.
If symptoms of hypothermia are detected on one or more of your party members you should stay calm and perform the following steps:
1. Stop walking and find shelter. Get the victim out of the wind and rain.
2. Put a victim into a sleeping bag. If possible, put drink bottles with warm water inside a sleeping bag. Also a good idea would be for some one to get inside the sleeping bag with the victim to exchange body heat.
3. Give warm and sweet drinks to victim because they will warm the body from the inside. Do NOT give liquid to an unconscious person!
4. Place the victim in the recovery position. If you don’t know what it is, you can read about it in Wikipedia.
5. Check Airway. Start resuscitation if breathing stops. Monitor the victim for changes in level of consciousness and temperature. Handle an unconscious patient with extreme care and move
them only when absolutely necessary.
Never rub the victim. Never give alcohol to the victim.
Gradually heat the victim and never do that rapidly.
Here are some additional facts about hypothermia:
- People have died of hypothermia without once complaining of the cold
- If one person of your group has hypothermia symptoms, others may also have hypothermia.
- Hypothermia symptoms can look like fatigue, and the victim may not realize the danger.
- Young and old people are more likely to get hypothermia, but even the fit and strong can have it.
- Distinguishing between Hypothermia and Cold Shock. If the patient’s temperature is less than 35C then they should be treated as a hypothermic patient. Otherwise it is unlikely to be hypothermia.
Take the temperature in the armpit for at least 3 minutes. If the temperature is less than 35C, take a rectal temperature, as it will give a better assessment.
I hope that you will never have to deal with hypothermia, and prevent it in the first place. But every person that likes to hike should know how to deal with it.
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