Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

9 Other Emergencies

Hypothermia Table

Severity

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Critical

Shivering, foot stamping, slurred speech

Loss of coordination, muscle stiffness

Signs and Symptoms

Coma

Apparent death

Respiration

Normal

Beginning to slow Weak pulse, slow respiration

Cardiac arrest

Consciousness

Withdrawn

Confused, sleepy

Unresponsive

Unresponsive

Hypothermia – First aid

• Move the patient to shelter or inside if possible. • Loosen constrictive clothing. • Cover exposed skin. Add insulating layers. Cover the head and neck. • Protect from wind and rain. Wrap the patient in a space blanket, plastic sheet, or similar to seal out wind and rain. • Insulate from the cold ground with blankets, clothing, or similar.

• Clothing such as poly fleece continues to insulate when wet. Otherwise, change to dry clothes if possible. Remove all wet clothing. Wet clothing accelerates hypothermia. • Get medical help. If medical help is not available, keep the patient warm and transport the patient in the recovery position. • Monitor ABCs closely. Be prepared to provide CPR if breathing becomes ineffective or ceases.

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