What Not To Do with a Hypothermia Victim

It is human nature to come to the aid of a victim. Tree climbers are especially gregarious folks, but what might appear on the surface as common sense might be the wrong aid for a hypothermia victim. Here is what Tom and Joanne O’Toole  in Backwoods Home Magazine have to say about what NOT to do:

• don’t massage the arms or legs
• don’t raise the legs
• don’t put the person in hot water
• don’t allow any type of exercise
• don’t give alcohol or drugs
• don’t administer hot drinks or hot food

“What you should do is promptly get them out of the elements, cover the head and neck to prevent further body heat loss, remove wet or damp clothing and replace it with dry garments, keep the body warm to maintain the vital organs, and handle the person gently. Gentle handling is extremely important so as to not cause ventricular fibrillation—a condition when the heart quivers but does not pump blood.”

It’s critical to do the right thing in an emergency. But half the battle is knowing what not to do. A review of these points is useful at the briefing before the tree-climbing team goes out on a wintry day.

Comments

[Peyton]

Thanks for the post.
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