Cold water rescue?

[RangerWickett]

In the real world, if someone falls into near-freezing water, what do you do once you pull them out? Imagine you're in a storm so you can't reach proper shelter, but you have a tent. Do you leave the person in their soaked clothes, or do you disrobe them? Is cold air better or worse than soaking cold clothes?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It depends on whether or not this is the third date or later.

 

[Greylock]

It depends on how urgent the situation is. Wrap them up first, get them out, then strip them nekkid and warm them up. Getting the clothes off is a high priority, but only after removing them from danger.

 

[Eosin the Red]

Yeap, clothes come off.

 

[LeapingShark]

Take off the cold clothes. Take off your own dry clothes and put them on the half-frozen person. Wring out as much water as you can from the cold clothes, then put them on yourself.

 

[Celebrim]

In the real world, if someone falls into near-freezing water, what do you do once you pull them out? Imagine you're in a storm so you can't reach proper shelter, but you have a tent. Do you leave the person in their soaked clothes, or do you disrobe them? Is cold air better or worse than soaking cold clothes?

Cold air is ALOT better than soaking cold clothes.

Take off the cold clothes. Take off your own dry clothes and put them on the half-frozen person. Wring out as much water as you can from the cold clothes, then put them on yourself.

Also, form a human sandwich. Place the half-frozen person between two people. You've got two things to worry about. First and most importantly, keeping core temperature up. Second, the extremities are going to be prone to frost bite. It's going to be a tough tough night.

Building a fire is extremely important. A tent of the sort you are probably thinking of just isn't going to cut it. You need a shelter in which a fire can be safely built - a teepee or a yurt would do, but they are heavy and take time to set up. Since you put the above characters in a storm, survival may not be possible without a fire, especially if the temperature is dropping.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

This is a bad, bad place to be.

It is very, very important to get that person out of the wind as quickly as possible.

Skin to skin contact - yes, disrobe them, disrobe yourself - is critically important. Use your own clothes, sleeping bags, etc., to cocoon yourself and the injured person.

It is very, very important that you keep a solid layer of insulation between yourself and the ground, as cold ground will leech heat out of you faster than you can replace it.

As Cel said, getting a fire going is very important.

Are you in the snow? Snow, if you've got the time to hollow out a snow cave, is an excellent insulator. Making an effective snow cave isn't easy to do, however, and can take precious time.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Phases and treatment of hypothermia.

After-drop
A further cooling of core temperature occurs after the victim is removed from the cold environment. This after-drop is often responsible for post-rescue collapse.

Pre-hospital stabilization

Preventing respiratory heat loss and progressive cooling, of the heart through the tissues is essential. This cooling if not arrested, can lead to ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Patients who are unconscious, with a temperature below 30°C or 80°F, may not respond to defibrillation. Thermally stabilizing a patient with suitable equipment is necessary, both before transportation and enroute to the hospital to prevent additional cardiac complications.

Core rewarming
This is the most effective treatment for all cases of moderate to severe hypothermia, whether treatment occurs in the hospital or in the field.

Inhalation rewarming
As the only non-invasive hospital treatment suitable for active core rewarming in the field, inhalation rewarming donates heat directly to the head, neck, and thoracic core (the critical core) through inhalation of warm, water-saturated air at 43 - 45°C (107 - 122°F). This method also warms the hypothalemus, the temperature regulation center, the respiratory center, and the cardiac center at the base of the brainstem. In many cases, this rewarming of the central nervous system at the brainstem reverses the cold-induced depression of the respiratory centers and improves the level of consciousness.

Beside this strategic donation of heat, inhalation rewarming also eliminates . .
Respiratory heat loss
This accounts for 10% to 30% of the body's heat loss. This is particularly important in rescue situations where the ambient air is cold (cooling of the core through respiration).

In summary, inhalation rewarming is highly effective in providing "basic life support" through thermally stabilizing the core and brainstem temperatures. It is safe for treatment for all levels of hypothermia, but is particularly important for severe cases, because insulating alone (blankets), does not prevent further cooling of the core.

The first half hour during rescue is the most critical phase of hypothermia management!


Avoid having the victim assist with their own rescue!

Muscular activity by the hypothermic victim pumps cold peripheral blood from the arms and legs into the central circulation causing the core temperature to drop even further. Gentle handling is critical! A cold heart is particular susceptible to ventricular fibrillation, and some victims may suffer fatal ventriculation when jolted about during initial handling or transportation.

" The inhalation rewarming method is now our first choice in the re-warming treatment of all stages of hypothermia in the wilderness environment. " ( Dr. Ian Taylor, Medical Adviser to the North Shore Rescue Team, Vancouver B.C.).


from: http://www.hypothermia.org/hypothermia.htm

 

[RangerWickett]

Thanks.