Outdoor Skills - First Aid
Hypothermia Severe Cold
Signs & Symptoms:
- Early
- Shivering begins
- Apathy
- Clumsiness
- Slurred speech
- Stiff fingers
- Stumbling
- Strange behavior
- Late
- Obvious mental deterioration
- Incoherence
- Unconsciousness
(In Water)
| If the Water Temp. is (F.)... |
Exhaustion or Unconsciousness |
Expected Time of Survival is... |
| 32.5° | Under 15 Min. | Under 15-45 Min. |
| 32.5°-40.0° | 15-30 Min. | 30-90 Min. |
| 40°-50° | 30-60 Min. | 1-3 Hrs. |
| 50°-60° | 1-2 Hrs. | 1-6 Hrs. |
| 60°-70° | 2-7 Hrs. | 2-40 Hrs. |
| 70°-80° | 3-12 Hrs. | Indefinitely |
| Over-80° | Indefinitely |
Note: For Hypothermia danger on land:
Treatment in Field:
Raise victim's body temperature with dry clothing, shelter, insulation (sleeping bag, blankets etc.) & applied heat (hot water bottles, your own warm body)
Caution! Be careful not to burn skin with hot water. Give warm liquids to drink only if you are sure victim is conscious and can swallow.
Frostbite
Frostbite is the freezing of a part of the body, most often the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers or toes.
Causes of frostbite:
- Cold stress
- Low temperatures
- Wind chill
- Poor insulation
- Tight-fitting clothing or boots
- dehydration
Clear blisters
& discolored
skin on
extremities
Remove victim from cold exposure, remove clothing from affected body parts. If warm water is available, put parts in warm water until thawed & numbness decreases - Wrap parts in dry, clean gauze & seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Do not rub affected areas!
Caution! Once you warm a body part you must keep it warm. If you cannot protect it from freezing again, it is better to leave it frozen until you can.
