You may be on to something there, benjammin. At the very bottom of the page in the linked to by jshannon, it says:



Interesting...

If you look at the “Field Chart” Field Chart at around 29C with “slow pulse and breathing” the recommendation is to assist with rescue breathing.

I do not think a person who is not semi-conscious or unconscious is going to tolerate mouth-to-mouth breathing very well. It is also very tiring to the “rescuer” to perform this for any significant length of time.

If the patient/victim is breathing adequately on their own, I would suggest using some type of permeable cloth/bandana/etc. over the mouth/nose (make sure to monitor closely) that would allow the patient’/victim’s own breath to moisturize the material. Then having them in a warm environment should allow for warmed humid air to gradually warm the lungs or at least prevent/reduce further heat loss through respiration. One, could place a heat pack near the patient’s/victim’s mouth/nose to warm the air. If one has access to O2, wrapping the supply line around a heat pack and placing a saline moistened gauze pad in the mask should also help. I.V. solutions and I.V. lines can also be warmed with heat packs.

Pete

You may be right. I think for a conscious person, it would depend a great deal on who's providing the warm air. Such notions cojure memories of the Jim Carey/Lauren Holly fantasy kissing scene from "Dumb and Dumber" (yecccchhhh!!!!)

I know it would be a real challenge to offer assisted respiration to some of my old hunting buddies, especially if they were hypothermic yet still cohesive. I reckon I'd have to knock them cold with the frying pan first so's they wouldn't struggle so much.

Pete, do you know how much a unit like the Res-Q-Air costs? I couldn't find a single online price for it, just a phone number or email address. (Kind of makes you wonder why they want to be so coy about the price, doesn't it?)

Sue

Having been a lifeguard and performing rescure breathing a few times, it can be a really discusting process. Imagine having someone puke into your mouth! It's gross. Given, that was with drowning victims vomiting up ingested water, it might be different with hypothermic victims.

I would be curious to know what peoples view on the Good Samaritan Law is here? Do you think that one should be trained in CPR/Rescure Breathing to try it?

Yes, I am a retarded,,uh, I mean, RETIRED Coastie icebreaker sailor. We learned to reheat the core by warm drink, hot bath (body in the water, legs and arms outside of the water) or strip them & yourself and get under the covers or in the sleeping bag with them to re-warm them.
From the time you rescue them, do not make or allow them to walk,,,,carry them to a warm place & start warming them up without causing them to exert/expend any more energy.
First get them into the warm environment, add some hot drink (cocoa or broth preferred), while preparing the means to rewarm them via bath, microwave warmed towel wraps, warm bath (appendages out of the water), body to body heat transfer.
After they have been sufficiently re-warmed, spoon feed them some more broth, hot cocoa, etc to replenish their energy levels, & they will start making their own body heat again.
Don't forget about the mammilian diving reflex, it makes it possible to save someone but it also means that the majority of their bodily functions have shutdown. After re-warming the person, you must spoon feed easily convertible energy into their body until their body's sub-systems come back online.

Hi Sue,

Sorry, I do not know the cost for the Res-Q-Air. Based upon other EMS equipment, my guess would be between $1,500 and $2,500 at least.

Many suppliers of EMS equipment (not supplies) do not publish prices, as pricing may depend upon the number of units ordered or government agency vs. non-government agency purchase. Also with big-ticket items, costs for components may change quickly on a world market, making published prices outdated.

This medical device is very specialized, and I am sure most general EMS providing agencies would not be able to justify such a purchase. Fewer units sold, will generally cause the price to increase.

Pete