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Hypothermia - Treatment

Alternative Names

Low body temperature; Cold exposure

First Aid:

  1. If any symptoms of hypothermia are present, especially confusion or changes in mental status, immediately call 911.
  2. If the person is unconscious, check airway, breathing, and circulation. If necessary, begin rescue breathing or CPR. If the victim is breathing less than 6 breaths per minute, begin rescue breathing.
  3. Take the person inside to room temperature and cover him or her with warm blankets. If going indoors is not possible, get the person out of the wind and use a blanket to provide insulation from the cold ground. Cover the person's head and neck to help retain body heat.
  4. Once inside, remove any wet or constricting clothes and replace them with dry clothing.
  5. Warm the person. If necessary, use your own body heat to aid the warming. Apply warm compresses to the neck, chest wall, and groin. If the person is alert and can easily swallow, give warm, sweetened, nonalcoholic fluids to aid the warming.
  6. Stay with the person until medical help arrives.

Do Not:

  • DO NOT assume that someone found lying motionless in the cold is already dead.
  • DO NOT use direct heat (such as hot water, a heating pad, or a heat lamp) to warm the person.
  • DO NOT give the person alcohol!

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

Call 911 anytime you suspect someone has hypothermia. Give first aid while awaiting emergency assistance.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/9/2008
  • John E. Duldner, Jr., MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Director of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine Akron General Medical Center and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Danzl DF. Accidental hypothermia. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: London: Mosby; 2006: chap. 138.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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