Heat and Cold Related Injuries

1
Heat and Cold Related Injuries

• Prevention and First Aid

2
Heat Related Difficulties

• Heat Cramps
• Least severe of the three types of heat related
  difficulties
• Painful muscle spasms
• Usually occur in the legs and abdomen

3
Heat Related Difficulties

• Heat Cramps
• A result of loss of electrolytes (sodium and
  potassium) from perspiring (sweating assists our
  bodies in cooling off)

4
Heat Cramps - Prevention and First Aid

• Best way to deal with heat cramps is prevention
• Add a little extra salt at meals (getting enough
  salt is rarely a problem in the typical American
  diet
• Eat foods rich in potassium - bananas, apricots,
  orange juice, nuts, tomato juice
• Condition yourself gradually

5
Heat Cramps Prevention and First Aid

• First Aid for heat cramps
• Have victim rest (sit or lie down) in a cool
  place
• Give cool water
• Light massage and stretching

6
Heat Exhaustion

• More serious than heat cramps
• Similar to shock
• Prevention
• Drink plenty of fluids - plain water is best
  before, during and after exercise
• Again, increase sodium and potassium naturally

7
Heat Exhaustion

• Avoid Gatorade and similar sports drinks as they
  actually inhibit fluid replacement, unless the
  activity is prolonged (over an hour).

8
Treatment for Heat Exhaustion

• Treat mild cases the same as heat cramps (except
  do not stretch the muscles).
• If persistent, gently apply wet towels and call
  EMS.

9
Heat Stroke

• Also known as sunstroke
• The most serious of the heat-related problems
• Usually occurs in very hot and humid weather
• The body cant cool itself adequately

10
Heat Stroke

• Prevention
• On days that are going to be hot and humid, run
  early or late in the day, avoiding the hottest
  part
• Consume plenty of fluids before, during and after

11
Heat Stroke

• Recognize heat stroke symptoms in others
• Hot, dry, flushed skin
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Mental confusion

12
Heat Stroke Treatment

• Objective is to cool victim as quickly as
  possible
• Get victim out of the heat half-sitting position
• Loosen tight clothing
• Remove perspiration soaked clothing
• If humidity is below 75, Apply cool, wet cloths
  to skin or spray with water if humidity is 75,
  apply ice packs on neck, armpits, groin.

13
Heat Stroke Treatment

• Fan the victim
• If victim is conscious, give cool water
• Call for ambulance if victim refuses water,
  vomits, or starts to lose consciousness

14
Cold-Related Emergencies

• Biological defense mechanisms to maintain body
  temperature during exposure to cold
• Vasoconstriction
• Shivering

15
Vasoconstriction

• Vasoconstriction is the tightening of blood
  vessels in the exposed skin
• Reduced skin blood flow conserves body heat, but
  at a price
• Discomfort
• Numbness
• Loss of dexterity in the hands, fingers, and
  other extremities
• Eventually cold injuries

16
Shivering

• Shivering increases internal heat production and
  helps to offset the heat being lost.
• Bodys main involuntary defense against the cold.
• Shivering produces body heat by forcing muscles
  to contract and relax rapidly.
• About 80 of the muscle energy used in shivering
  is turned into body heat.
• Shivering reflex stops when the core body
  temperature falls to about 86 degrees F.

17
Hypothermia

• Life-threatening condition
• Main cause of death for many outdoor recreational
  activities such as snowmobiling, skiing, hiking
  and backpacking
• Hypothermia - the bodys core temperature drops
  below 95 degrees

18
Hypothermia

• Signals of hypothermia
• Shivering
• Numbness
• Glassy stare
• Apathy
• Loss of consciousness

19
Hypothermia

• The temperature does not have to be below
  freezing for hypothermia to occur, e.g. 50
  degrees on land and 70 degrees or less in the
  water
• Factors in Hypothermia
• moisture
• wind
• fatigue
• improper clothing

20
Hypothermia

• Other factors in the development of hypothermia
• Age, e.g. elderly people in poorly heated homes
• Alcohol
• Diseases, e.g. C-V disease, diabetes
• Length of exposure

21
Ways in which the body loses heat

• Respiration - exhalation of warm air removes a
  small amount of body heat
• Radiation - any uncovered body surface will give
  up heat to the surrounding air, head and neck
  mostly

22
Ways in which the body loses heat

• Convection - wind current blowing across body
  will accelerate temperature loss by quickly
  removing radiated heat

23
Ways in which the body loses heat

• Evaporation - Perspiration or moisture on skin
  drying will have a cooling effect
• Conduction - when sitting on the ground or
  leaning next to a cold or wet object, heat will
  be absorbed from the body.

24
Safety tips to prevent hypothermia

• Always keep head covered
• If clothes get wet, change into dry ones
  immediately
• Wear clothes in layers
• Dont sit on ground if taking a break
• Limit periods of inactivity in cold conditions

25
Safety tips to prevent hypothermia

• Maintain proper hydration and nutrition
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine
• Make a shelter if it begins to rain
• Make camp before becoming exhausted
• Carry high-energy foods

26
Other heat related problems

• Frostbite
• Dehydration
• Small children and elderly in hot cars
• Sunburn

27
Frostbite

• Freezing of body tissues
• Severity depends on air temperature, length of
  exposure, and wind
• Can cause the loss of body parts
• Signs of frostbite
• Loss of feeling (numbness)
• Skin appears waxy
• Skin is cold to the touch
• Skin is discolored

28
Frostbite

• First aid
• Warm the area by soaking in warm water (105
  degrees)
• Dont rub affected area
• Loosely bandage area after it has regained color
  and warmth
• Gauze between fingers and toes
• Dont break blisters