Wilderness First Aid Basics

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Cold Problems

Our body needs warmth almost as much as oxygen. Actually, it is the burning of oxygen in our body that produces warmth, so these issues are related. If the inside temperature of our body drops only a few degrees, our brain and other organs do not work as well. If our interior (core) temperature drops to the air temperature of a warm summer day, we may die.

Anyone who is sick or injured is much more vulnerable to cold than is a healthy person. He feels the cold more and is less able to produce heat to fight it. Less blood flows to his skin to keep it warm. Because of this, he may get frostbite or suffer from exposure more easily.

In warmer climates, maintaining body warmth is considered an important part of first aid. Imagine how much more important it is in the northern wilderness! Even in summer, the north is rarely a truly warm place. In any other season it is often bitterly cold. So, protecting a casualty from further cold exposure is of primary importance, once it has been established that nothing immediately threatens the casualty's life. Usually, it is simply a matter of covering the casualty with an adequate sleeping bag or blankets or extra clothing-but don't forget to put something underneath too. A major part of body heat is lost to the ground, and moisture easily seeps in from dirt or snow.

Later on, even after first aid is completed, the casualty will still be very sensitive to cold. It is quite possible for him to get frostbite inside a heavy sleeping bag if he is being transported on an open sled or similar vehicle. Always be extremely careful to keep the casualty warm and dry, and watch for the signs of hypothermia (exposure) any time conditions are marginal.

A true story shows the importance of this. Five men on a ski trip in the mountains encountered bad weather. One of them was sick with gastroenteritis (stomach flu), so they decided to make camp. That night it snowed heavily. In the morning, the sick man was still ill and the snow was too deep for him to travel. The other four decided to go back to town for help. They left the sick man wrapped in two down sleeping bags, in a good tent, with a stove and food close by. Two days later a rescue party reached his tent. He had been dead for about a day, from hypothermia. There was nothing else wrong with him but gastroenteritis. In his weakened condition, his body wasn't able to produce enough heat to balance the heat loss, even in two sleeping bags. Keep on the lookout for hypothermia in all northern-climate casualties, and be ready for it.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print