 |
 |
|
The HARTMANN first aid
blanket is suitable for
warming up the person
affected in the event of
hypothermia or frostbite |
|
|
Hypothermia
Hypothermia happens when the body gives off more heat, over a prolonged period of time, than it produces.
Hypothermia can, for example, be caught by staying in poorly heated buildings or by staying in cold water for long periods of time. When an individual’s body temperature drops below 35° C, that person is said to have hypothermia. As a rule, hypothermia under 30° C leads to a loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest.
First aid measures where the person affected is conscious:
Warming up
If the person affected is conscious, bring him/her to a warm place and slowly warm him/her body up. To do this, wet clothing might need to be removed and the person affected wrapped in a warm blanket or the like (e.g. the first aid blanket from the first aid kit in your car is also suitable for this; the gold side should be facing outwards and the silver side inwards towards the patient).
Fluid supply
Give the patient warm, sweet drinks. Under no circumstances should you give the patient any alcohol, as this dilates blood vessels and accelerates hypothermia.
Observing the condition of the person affected
Observe breathing, pulse and body temperature and avoid the person from getting cold again. If there is no improvement, call the ambulance service. Where the elderly or infants are concerned, the advice of a physician should generally be sought.
What should you do in the event of someone becoming unconscious?
Do not try to warm the person affected up any further!
If the person affected visibly becomes tired and ultimately unconscious, first aiders should not attempt to warm him/her up any further, as this can, if done incorrectly, lower the body temperature more and can have life-threatening consequences for the person affected.
Call the ambulance service
Call the ambulance service immediately and lay the patient if he/she is unconscious in the stable side position. Protect the person affected from further hypothermia with a blanket. Check breathing, pulse and body temperature and, if necessary, administer life-saving emergency measures.
Frostbite
Signs
– First of all, the affected part of the body tingles and turns pale,
– then the affected part of the body goes numb,
– finally, the skin turns hard and stiff,
– the affected areas are first of all bluish-red (1st stage, then white-yellow (2nd stage) and finally pale and grey (3rd stage)
– tissue that is already dead is black and necrotic as a result of poor circulation and, as a rule, has to be amputated.
First aid measures
Warming up
Bring the patient to a warm place. The persons affected should themselves move the respective part of the body and, if possible, warm it up with their own body heat, e.g. the affected fingers can be placed in the armpits.
Remove clothing
Carefully remove wet and restrictive clothing.
You must refrain from rubbing or massaging a frozen body part at all costs.
Call the ambulance service
You should notify the ambulance service and look after the patient in the meantime. If the patient is seen to have hypothermia as well, measures to counteract hypothermia must be given priority. The person affected may not smoke or drink any alcohol or coffee.
In the event of more severe frostbite (3rd stage), the patient may no longer be moved or warmed up. The removal of wet or restrictive clothing does not apply in this case either. You must merely make sure that the body part affected is kept still. Everything else is to be left to the ambulance service.
|
