Thankfully, the
bone-numbing blast of arctic air that lingered over St. Louis last week has moved on. No more breaking news alerts from broadcast weather people with warnings about falling temperatures and the deadly effects of extreme cold. No more homeless shelter workers on the news seeking donations of badly needed coats and blankets. No AAA trucks seeming to appear everywhere, jumpstarting battery after frozen battery.
We’re back to the regular old cold that St. Louisans know and expect.
The emergency is over, right?
Some would agree, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be extremely cold for someone to suffer a cold-related emergency, especially if that person is wet or conditions are windy. This is one of many topics I and all Red Cross instructors cover when teaching First Aid classes.
Now, you should know that people who attend our classes learn about this and are tested on it to receive their
Red Cross first aid certifications. But, I think it’s a good idea to review the general concepts for everyone at this time of year.
So here goes. And, keep in mind that while you may not have to take a written test on the following material, real life might just test you instead, with a cold-related emergency involving your family, friends or co-workers!
Key facts about cold-related emergencies:
- Cold-related emergencies include hypothermia and frostbite. (Hypothermia is when a person’s body cools because their body’s ability to regulate temperature fails. Frostbite is the condition when body tissue freezes)
- Young children are susceptible to cold-related emergencies because their body temperature regulating systems are not fully developed
- The elderly can experience a cold-related emergency inside when exposed to lower temperatures over a period of time, as their temperature regulating systems are sometimes impaired
- Prompt care is necessary to ensure cold-related emergencies do not become life threatening.
Signals of hypothermia include:
- Shivering, numbness, glassy stare
- Apathy, weakness, impaired judgment
- Loss of consciousness
How to care for hypothermia:
- Move the person to a warm place, or at least out of the cold
- Remove any wet clothing and dry the person
- Warm the person by wrapping him or her in blankets or putting on dry clothes
- If the person is alert , give warm liquids to drink that do not contain alcohol or caffeine
- Hot water bottles or chemical hot packs may be used, but wrap them in a blanket before applying
- Do not warm a person too quickly such as by immersing him or her in warm water as rapid warming may cause dangerous heart rhythms.
Signals of Frostbite:
- Lack of feeling in the affected area
- Skin that appears waxy, cold to the touch, or discolored (flushed, white, yellow or blue)
How to care for frostbite:
- Get the person out of the cold
- Handle the area gently; never rub the affected area
- Warm gently by soaking the affected area in warm water (100 to 105 degrees F) until normal color returns and the area feels warm
- Loosely bandage the area with dry sterile dressings
- If a person’s fingers or toes are frostbitten, place dry, sterile gauze between them to keep them separated
- Avoid breaking any blisters
- Take precautions to prevent hypothermia
- Call 9-11 or the local emergency number to seek emergency care as soon as possible
Have you dealt with a cold-related condition? If so, what did you do? And, would you do something differently now that you’ve read this blog? Let us know. We welcome your comments.
And, finally, please continue to donate coats and blankets (or your time or money) to organizations that serve others. You can bet there’s a need, whether you see it on TV or not. I know
we would welcome your
help.
Carla Feuer is a Health and Safety instructor for the St. Louis Area Chapter.