just a lurker on this forum but i understood the best treatment for hypothermia was to put the patient into a warm, not hot, bath with arms and legs out i know this not likely to be possible in most cases when treatment is needed but is it close to what you'd all heard? eric e Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On 20 Nov 2003 at 22:58, eric eason wrote: > just a lurker on this forum but i understood the > best treatment for hypothermia was to put the patient > into a warm, not hot, bath with arms and legs out For immersion or acute hypothermia, that is correct. However, it must be administered correctly - meaning it's not something you should try without appropriate training. > i know this not likely to be possible in most cases > when treatment is needed If in doubt or if you can't get a patient to a hospital, treat as for chronic hypothermia - that is, move the patient as little as possible and keep them very warm. That means removing wet clothing and getting them dry. Build a fire if possible. Keep them out of the wind. If they are well on, get them into a sleeping bag with a couple of people that are warm with minimal clothing so that heat is readily transferred to the cold person. For this reason, I like to keep my tent or tarp right next to the hatch cover - it's the first thing, along with first aid kit, I can grab (oh,yeah, also the toilet paper :-). One tarp I always have, even on hot summer day paddles, is an aluminized tarp - like a heavy space blanket with grommets around the sides. It is important to recognize the difference between chronic and acute hypothermia. Chronic is caused by gradual cooling of the body - not wearing enough clothing while paddling, for example. In this case, the body temperature at the core is not greatly different than at the surface. The paddler should be warmed. Also, it is important to note that they may not have the ability to generate enough heat so external heat should, if the patient is sufficiently aware, be supplimented with energy intake - i.e. food. Warm, sweet drinks can also be used. Acute hypothermia (aka immersion due to it's common cause) results from a sudden and rapid cooling of the body - as when a paddler swims in cold water. In this case, the core can still be warm even though the surface of the body is quite cold. Circulation of blood will bring the cold to the core quickly - that's what causes heart or other organ failure. Hence the patient should not be moved so as to minimize circulation. Ideally, immersion in water to stabilize temperature is called for, but leave that for the pros. In my decades of cross-country skiing, I've probably seen more cases of hypothermia than all other injuries combined. It's happened to me a couple of times and the first time was the most severe. Fortunately, I recognized the symptoms and treated myself as far as possible. The second time, I picked up on it earlier and headed to a warm-up hut. Energy bars and sports drinks, along with the hut's wood stove, got me back on skis and home. It probably strikes more paddlers than we are aware of. Unless it gets to a critical stage, most folks would probably be unaware of it. I wouldn't be surprised to find it kills more paddlers than drowning. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> the > best treatment for hypothermia was to put the patient > into a warm, not hot, bath with arms and legs out Oh Oh ...! ALL! Have a deep look on this hypothermia treatment project webside www.sarrrah.de (3 R4s, also on english available). sarrrah stands for Search And Rescue, Resuscitation and Rewarming in Accidental Hypothermia I watched the lecture of project leader Mr. Baumeier on a local seakayak meeting 2 months ago. He4s an anesthetist Doctor from Luebeck. Was great! stay safe and warm J.G *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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