An Cosantóir

tac aide- hypothermia | 33 HYPOTHERMIA Hypothermia from a military point of view has been a problem ever since the time Hannibal lost nearly half his troops while crossing over the Pyrenees Alps in 218 BC and has continued to plague the mili- tary throughout history. The human body has a core tem- perature of 37°C and hypothermia is defined as anything below 35°C A person exposed to cold tem- peratures be it soldiering or recre- ational (e.g. canoeing, hiking etc) maybe at risk of becoming too cold. This with the addition of wearing damp or wet clothes and feeling a wind chill or breeze can dramati- cally increase the rapid drop in your core body temperature, and the onset of Hypothermia. How can you help: SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY! (Hypo- thermia can be fatal if not treated). While waiting for assistance, you can: • Prevent further heat loss by moving the person from the cold area. • Remove wet or damp cloth- ing and replace it with dry clothing. • Slowly give the person warm liquids if conscious. • Caution: do not warm the person further. If the arms and legs are warmed before the chest and abdomen, the person could go into shock. This table is a guide on what to look out for in your- self and other people who maybe showing signs of hypothermia. Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia SYMPTOMS BODY TEMP °C Early 37 to 35 Moderate 35 to 33 Severe 33 to 31 31 to 29.5 Intense and uncontrollable shivering; ability to perform complex tasks impaired. Violent shivering persists, difficulty in speaking, sluggish thinking, amnesia begins to appear. Shivering decreases; replaced by muscular rigidity and erratic, jerky movements; thinking not clear but maintains posture. Victim becomes irrational, loses contact with environment, drifts into stupor; muscular rigidity continues; pulse and respiration slowed. 29.5 to 26 26 and less Unconsciousness; does not respond to spoken word; most reflexes cease to function; heartbeat becomes erratic. Failure of cardiac and respiratory control centres in brain; cardiac fibrillation; probable edema and haemorrhage in lungs; apparent death. OBSERVABLE BY OTHERS Slowing of pace. Intense shivering. Poor coordination Stumbling, lurching gait. Thickness of speech. Poor judgement. Irrationality, incoherence. Amnesia, memory lapses. Hallucinations. Loss of contact with environment. Blueness of skin. Decreased heart and respiratory rate. Dilation of pupils. Weak or irregular pulse. Stupor. Unconsciousness. FELT BY YOURSELF Fatigue. Uncontrollable fits of shivering. Immobile, fumbling hands. Stumbling. Poor articulation. Feeling of deep cold or numbness. Disorientation. Decrease in shivering. Stiffening of muscles. Exhaustion, inability to get up after a rest. Blueness of skin. Slow, irregular, or weak pulse. Drowsiness. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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