The Medic Tent at Occupy Toronto
So today at my local Occupy Movement, I gave a teaching session to the medics, safety folks and anyone else interested in learning about hypothermia. I was nervous to do a ‘Mic Check’ announcement, but was very fortunate to make a friend who had a megaphone! Sharing some really important information with the folks who are sleeping on location was super exciting, because our Canadian winters can be brutally cold, dropping into negative double digits. Plus, I’m kinda digging this new role as an ICU-nurse-turned-public health-nurse… You get to meet some really amazing people who have overcome a lot of adversity, and while they’re thanking you for dressing their wound, really you’re thanking them for sharing themselves with you and welcoming you into their environment and stories. Truly wonderful!
Here are some notes I typed up about what I taught, along with tips shared from the community about staying warm! These are specific to the needs of our Occupy community, so feel free to share and expand!
Hypothermia: Prevention, Recognition and Treatment
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is a lowering in normal core (vital organs in the torso) body temperature causing a decrease in the body’s ability to maintain normal metabolism and functions.
Signs and Symptoms of hypothermia:
Earliest signs are goosebumps and shivering. As the body gets colder and loses energy, the person’s ability to shiver disappears and more severe hypothermia rapidly progresses.
1. Central Nervous System: Slurred speech, decreased pain sensation (fingers and toes especially), decreased responsiveness to a person’s voice, drowsiness, poor coordination.
2. Cardiovascular System: Slow Pulse, blue lips and fingernails (because of decreased blood flow to limbs).
3. Respiratory System: Slower breathing.
4. Frostbite: Starts off as mild, yellow/gray patches on skin that become red and flaky when rewarmed. More severe frostbite develops blisters (high risk areas include nose, cheeks, fingers and toes).
Prevention of hypothermia:
Prevention is by far the best way to ‘treat’ hypothermia. Here are some tips…
- Many layers (base layer of longjohns, sweaters, windbreaker on the outside)
- Wool clothes (wool is especially good at capturing body heat, as well as keeping the body dry)
- Cover your head (a lot of the body’s warmth escapes from the head, armpits and groin)
- Wear thick socks and keep your feet dry
- Wear a scarf (keeping the back of your neck warm helps your brain perceive your body as warm.. seriously!)
- Wind and waterproof your tent (taping the silver emergency blankets to your tent ceiling is a good idea, as well as securing tarps as windbreakers and sealing all leaks in your tent with duct tape if necessary), make sure you have warm blankets/sleeping bags. Keep your bed raised off the ground with wooden pallets and cardboard
- Remember that alcohol will cool you down. It may make you feel warm, but really you are losing heat because your blood vessels are expanding, causing heat loss
- Keep each other accountable. Remind your community to dress warm! If you see someone underdressed for the weather, help them fix that!
The most important thing to remember when treating hypothermia is to warm the core. A hypothermic body has lost it’s own ability to warm up so placing a blanket around someone will not help. We need to GIVE them warmth. There are two main techniques to do this:
- Encourage them to drink warm liquids.
- Place hot water bottles in their armpits and groin (these are places where major blood vessels run near the skin’s surface and thus are spots where heat escapes quickly
- Encourage person to breathe the warm steam from a pot of freshly boiled water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothermia
http://www.hypothermia.org/hypothermia3.htm
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Watch_signs/
I See You, RN 