Environmental Emergencies
By: Eric Bailey
Hypothermia
Cold Exposure
- Heat travles to the cold.
- Conduction
- Convection
- Evaporation
- Radiation
- Respiration
- Three ways to increase heat?
- Metabolism
- Move
- External factors
Treatment
- Downing
- BVM
- Spinal restritction
- Suction if needed
- CPR focus on airway first
- Diving/Altitude
- Oxygen
- Transport
- Venom
- ABC's
- Oxygen
- Transport
- Clean bite
- Immobilize
- Heat Cramps
- Remove from environment
- Rest, give liquids, oxygen
- Passive cooling
- Heat Exhaustion
- Check sugar
- Active cooling
- Transport?
- Heat Stroke
- ABC's
- Active cooling/ ice bath
- Rapid transport
Drowning/ Diving/
Altitude
Cold Injuries
- Risk factors
- Alcohol consumption
- Preexisting seizure disorders
- Geriatric patients with cardiovascular disease
- Unsupervised access to water
- Air Emobism
- Decompression Sickness
- HAPE
- HACE
Venom
- Spider Bites
- Brown Recluse: Cytotoxic
- Black Widow: Neuro-toxin
- Snake bites
- Pit vipers: Hemotoxic/Neurotoxic
- Frostnip & Immersion Foot
- Skin freezes
- Ears, nose, fingers ofter affected. Feet for immersion foot.
- Skin is pale, cold, loss of sensation.
- Frostbite
- Tissue is frozen
- Damage to cells
- Can cause necrosis or gangrene
- Skin is waxy, firm, blisters may form.
- Treatment
- Move the patient from the cold. Be Gentle!!
- Remove wet clothing.
- Start passive or active rewarming.
Heat Exposure
- Heat Stroke
- Most serious
- Tissues are destroyed
- Untreated will always lead to death!
- Hot, dry, flushed skin
- Quickly rising body temperature
- Change in behavior
- Unresponsiveness and seizures
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Increased respiratory rate
- How does our body try to cool down?
- Three categories for heat emergencies
- Heat Cramps
- Muscle spasms
- Dehydration
- Typically in legs/abdomen
- Heat Exaaustion
- Most common
- Fatigue and hypovolemia
- Dizziness, weakness, or syncope
- Nausea, vomiting, or headache
- Cold, clammy skin with ashen pallor