Chapter 5: Outdoor Safety
Coping With Extreme Weather (continued)
Hypothermia (continued)
Treatment of Hypothermia
- Find shelter for the victim.
- Remove wet clothing, and replace with dry clothing and
other protective covering. If there is no dry clothing,
use a fire to dry one layer at a time.
- Give warm liquids to hydrate and warm, but never
give the victim alcohol to drink. Quick-energy foods also
produce inner body heat.
- For mild cases, use fire, blankets, or another person's
body heat to warm the victim.
- In more advanced stages, warm the victim slowly by
placing one or more persons in body contact with the victim.
Place canteens of hot water insulated with socks or towels
on the groin, armpits, and sides of the neck of the victim.
- A victim at or near unconsciousness must be handled gently,
and not placed in a warm bath or exposed to a large fire,
which can lead to traumatic shock or death. Immediately
contact emergency medical personnel to evacuate the victim
to a hospital for treatment.
 Frostbite
Frostbite occurs when skin freezes. The best prevention
is to avoid severe weather. If you're caught in extremely
cold weather, pay attention to your head and extremities,
such as fingers, toes, ears, and nose. Wear a face cover
if the temperature is below 0° Fahrenheit. If
you experience any symptom of frostbite, treat immediately.
Symptoms of Frostbite
- Skin turns off-white.
- Prickly or tingling feeling as ice crystals form.
- Pain may be present initially, then disappears as frostbite progresses.
- In severe cases, loss of feeling in the affected area.
Treatment of Frostbite
- Warm the affected area with body heat, but avoid rubbing
the area—it can damage tissue.
- Don't use hot water or other external heat sources,
which could cause burns.
- Wrap with warm, dry clothing.
- Get to a warm shelter.
- Drink hot liquids.
- Get medical attention.
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