A couple of years ago, IIRC, there was something on TV that showed a family that was out in the wilderness, and they pulled a man out of the water after a canoe accident. He was suffering from hypothermia, so they undressed him & put him in their tent, and the woman and the girl curled up with him to provide body heat.

But someone (the woman or the narrator) was under the impression that even after a victim's body temp is brought back up to normal, they are at risk... I THINK they mentioned he could have a heart attack, or some internal physical danger.

Is this true? Or is this just one of the bits of misinformation provided by Hollywood?

Sue

There is a risk, Susan.
If I were to wake up after a bout of hypothermia, with a young female curled up against me, I'd have a heart attack. Now mind you... that's not a complaint, but just a promise.

Seriously though, I think that once the initial risk has passed and there is adequate core temperature you don't have to continue applying the human-hot-water-bottles Unless you think the person won't maintain adequate core temp.

There is significant cardiac risk to hypothermic victims. There is a cardiac condition called ventricular fibrillation (v-fib). This is where the heart does not produce a coordinated contraction of the heart muscle (top to bottom); instead the heart muscle contracts almost like a bowl of Jell-O. The heart no longer functions as a pump, depriving itself, organs and tissues of oxygen. If not reversed, the heart will eventually stop altogether. Hypothermic victims who are rapidly re-warmed and/or roughly handled can go into v-fib easily. Treat hypothermic patients with “kid gloves”, using heat packs on hypothermic patients will not re-warm the body’s core; they mainly serve to prevent further heat loss. Check out the web site below for additional information.

Hypothermia


Pete

At last a topic I can reply to with some useful information.

I took a course on ice safety this winter, dealing with how to prevent falling through river and lake ice, and what to do if you (or a member of your party) falls through. The instructor indicated that warming shock is a problem for people with severe hypothermia, but not for mild hypothermia.

Mild hypothermia is indicated by shivering, slurred (but coherent) speak, and the ability to pass a simple dexterity test like bringing a cup to the lips and drinking.

The line between these can be recognized by three important signs:
Hypothermia is severe when
- shivering stops
- the patient is no longer verbally coherent
- muscle control is so poor that the patient fails the cup test

For mild hypothermia, the patient should be made dry and warm, and given food, fluids and exercise.

Severe hypotheria patients should be given the hypo-wrap treatment.

Many years ago, I read somewhere that sleeping with your partner with your feet in their armpits and theirs in yours would help to reduce the likelyhood of frostbite to the feet, which I understand is the most susceptible area for that problem. I have never been able to fathom the practicallity of such a position. Has anyone on this forum ever heard of this method actually being used?

For the weight of a Jon-e hand warmer fuel and the warmers themselves, I would much rather carry a bag that would accomodate both feet and put either a small or large Jon-e in it for heat.

Will just heating the armpits and crouch suffice to increase the core temperature of hypothermia victims?

Bountyhunter

The human body doesn't take kindly to radical physiological changes. Victims of earthquakes or other events that cause compression also require special care. The layman's reaction is to always 'do something' oblivious to the medical maxim ' do no harm.' It's not unlike horseowners who trowel salves into a cut for the DVM to remove while the Bute wears off. Unless we are Trustbox or Paramedicpete, a field reference, ie WHERE THERE IS NO DOCTOR and a means of getting the victim to one take a prominent place in my FAK.

Additionally there is what is called after drop. This is what generally triggers the V-fib. The body slows to almost the point of shutdown of blood flow to the extremites to try to conserve core temp. This is what usually leads to frost bite of fingers and toes. When the body is warmed the core temp goes up first. Then the body recommences flow to the arms and legs to restore their function. But the blood there is usually much colder than the core. Like pouring ice water into a pot of boiling water. This causes the core temp to rapidly drop. This shock of the sudden after drop causes a drastic shock to an already weakened system. This is the shock thatoften triggers cardiac arrest.

But can you bring core temp back to normal with just body heat? For instance, if you have to deal with the problem while someone else hikes out for help.

Pete, that Res-Q-Air looks really useful for people out in the sticks, as long as there's a power source around. Any idea on the price?

Sue

I stand corrected.. thanks to Pete and others:
"I think that once the initial risk has passed and there is adequate core temperature you don't have to continue applying the human-hot-water-bottles Unless you think the person won't maintain adequate core temp." WRONG Wrong!
It would appear that one can't determine in the field that the risk has passed, and should therefore continue to treat the re-warmed victim as at-risk. Sorry!

No, sorry I do not. I would guess around $1,200.

Pete