What is the body’s normal temperature?
37 degrees Celsius.
What occurs when body temperature increases?
- Superficial blood vessels dilate bringing warm blood to the surface of the skin so it can be cooled (convection).
- Sweating where evaporation causes the blood to be cooled faster than through convection.
What occurs when body temperature decreases?
- Constrict blood vessels at the skin to keep heat at the core.
- Shivering when the vasodilation does not work.
What external factors affect body temperature?
- Air temperature.
- Humidity.
- Wind.
What is frostbite?
A progressive freezing of body tissues when exposed to temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.
Affects the most exposed areas areas (ears, nose, cheeks and if extreme heat loss fingers and toes).
What are the signs and symptoms of a superficial frostbite (frostnip)?
- Skin appears white and waxy.
- Superficial skin is hard to the touch but the deeper tissue remains soft.
- Pain followed by numbness in the area.
What are the signs and symptoms of a deep frostbite?
- Skin appears white and waxy initially but turns grey-blue as the damage progresses.
- Skin is cold and hard to the touch.
- Numbness in the affected area.
How do you assess and manage a superficial frostbite?
- Try if possible to move into a warm or sheltered environment.
- Cover frostbitten areas with warm hands.
- For fingers and toes breath on them or place in contact with warm areas of the body (arm pits, abdomen, droin).
- Do not rub the injured area as this may cause further tissue damage.
How do you assess and manage a deep frostbite?
- Try if possible to move into a warm or sheltered environment.
- Do not thaw the area if refreezing is possible or if transport to medical attention may be delayed.
- Handle the tissue gently.
- For fingers and toes re-warm slowly by placing limb in a container of warm water between 38-40 degrees Celsius.
What is hypothermia?
A generalized cooling of the body with the body core temperature falling below 35 degrees Celsius.
Comes in 3 stages (mild, moderate and severe).
What are the signs an symptoms of hypothermia?
- Shivering (absent in later stages).
- Slow irregular pulse.
- Numbness.
- Apathy and decreased LOC.
- Glassy stare.
What is stage 1 mild hypothermia?
- Core temperature: 35-36 degrees Celsius.
- Heart rate: normal.
- Respiratory rate: normal.
- Appearance: shivering, slurred speech.
- Mental status: conscious, withdrawn.
What is stage 2 moderate hypothermia?
- Core temperature: 30-34 degrees Celsius.
- Heart rate: slow & weak.
- Respiratory rate: slow & shallow.
- Appearance: shivering initially violent but may stop, clumsy, slurred speech.
- Mental status: confused, sleepy and irrational.
What is stage 3 severe hypothermia?
- Core temperature: less than 30 degrees Celsius.
- Heart rate: weak, irregular or absent.
- Respiratory rate: slow & shallow or absent.
- Appearance: shivering has stopped.
- Mental status: unconscious.
What are environmental risk factors for cold injuries?
- Wind-chill (low temperature with high winds).
- Improper clothing.
- Elderly or very young persons.
- Poor health.
- Weakened status (extreme fatigue, alcohol, drugs).
How do you prevent environmental cold injuries?
- Stay warm and dry.
- Wear multiple layers of clothing.
- Adequate shelter to keep you out of the rain, wind and snow.
- Don’t overdo outdoor activities in cold wet environments.
How do you treat hypothermia?
- Check, call, care.
- Handle the patient gently.
- Remove from the cold environment.
- Once sheltered remove wet clothing to prevent further heat loss and replace with dry clothing.
- Slowly re-warm the body, do not immerse in hot water as it can cause arrhythmias.
- Monitor vital signs.
What are the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion?
- Excessive sweating.
- Cold clammy pale skin.
- Weak and rapid pulse.
- Rapid shallow breathing.
- Vomiting/nausea.
- Unconsciousness.
- Blurred vision/dizziness.
How do you treat heat exhaustion?
- Move to a cool place and loosen clothing.
- Provide O2 at 15 lpm via non re-breather mask.
- Give the responsive patient water slowly.
- Place in shock position and monitor ABC’s.
- Unresponsive patient is placed in the recovery position and monitored.
- Ease cramps by placing moist towels over the muscles. If not contraindicated massage may also be used.
What are the two types of heat stroke?
- Classic: occurs when the body temperature controls fail.
- Exertional: occurs as the result of heavy physical exertion in high temperatures.
What are the signs and symptoms of a heat stroke?
- Rapid rise in body temperature (40 degrees Celsius and greater).
- Rapid bounding pulse that becomes weaker in later stages.
- Flushed hot dry skin in classes heatstrokes and flushed hot sweaty skin in exertional heatstroke.
- Difficult noisy breathing.
- Vomiting/nausea.
- Restlessness.
How do you treat a heat stroke?
- Move to a cool place and loosen clothing.
- Provide O2 at 15 lpm via non re-breather mask.
- Give the responsive patient water slowly.
- Place in shock position and monitor ABC’s.
- Unresponsive patient is placed in the recovery position and monitored.
- Ease cramps by placing moist towels over the muscles. If not contraindicated massage may also be used.
- Ice packs placed at the neck, armpits and groin region are also appropriate.
What are heat cramps?
Occurs when there is undue stress on the muscles that can lead to fluid imbalances which can cause general cramping.
These cramps serve as a warning to impending heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
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Introduction12
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Human Body Systems22
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Primary and Secondary Survey18
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Respiratory10
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Cardiac21
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Bleeding10
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Burns6
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Musculoskeletal and Extremity Injuries11
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Head, Neck and Face Injuries.54
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Pelvic, Abdominal and Thoracic Region21
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Medical Conditions and Sudden Illnesses27
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Spinal Injuries14
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Environmental Illnesses23
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Interpreting Vital Signs32
