Hypothermia-Indoor

[Readymom]

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14667

Many people may avoid falling victim to the Pandemic flu by accumulating enough food, water, and medicines to shelter in place for the entire pandemic, only to find they have not adequately prepared to endure months of living without heat in their home.
Without enough warm clothing and bedding many people will succumb to "indoor hypothermia."

Do not overlook your need for warm clothing and bedding.

A pandemic wave could start in September and end in March, which are the coldest months in the United States. ---CONTINUED---

[Readymom]

How cold can your house go & live in it?

Original discusssion on this was on Pandemic Flu Information


* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line.

Discussion begins:
Saw something on another site about home heating and WHO recommeneded temps for your home.
WHO says minimum is 18C or 64.4F, while the elderly and kids s/b 70+/-.
Below16C or 61F resistance to respiratory illnesses is diminished.
Bleow 12C or 54F = cold extremities and slight lower of core temp.

Now in your experience, how long can you live in an unheated basement at about 55-60 F in the winter without going into hypothermia? Only have candles and sterno. My wife is very sensitive to cold-something biological.

Realize that we have a tent, reflective foil to cover the tent, and lots of blankets and warm clothing. But can you live for several weeks like that considering personal bathing, bathroom breaks etc? As well as the mental state.

I know a lot of you people must live in cold conditions. What is your experience?

[Readymom]

How to Handle Hypothermia



Don't Know Jack Forst: How to Handle Hypothermia
http://disastermedicine-christine.blogspot.com/2010/01/dont-know-jack-forst-how-to-handle.html

Excerpt: The following is just a snip from this article. Please go to link, above to read in it's entirety:

Mild Hypothermia

This starts when the body's core temperature drops below 95 degrees fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), but is still above 90 degrees.

This is where we start shivering, our extremities become numb, and we experience a reduction in manual dexterity. Remember the last post: 'drop of 1 degree Celsius' and we turn into 'mean drunks'? Well, here we are. Mean shivering drunks. Complex skills become difficult. We become tired, can't throw a snowball to save our lives, and forget about cooperating with anything or anyone.

Here's a mnemonic device developed by Giesbrecht and Wilkerson in their book, "Hypothermia, Frostbite, and Other Cold Injuries":

Fumbles
Stumbles
Tumbles
Mumbles
Grumbles

Moderate Hypothermia

This is the stage that happens when either we are kidnapped by the abominable snowman to be his snowbride and can't get away, or we are too irritable and argumentative to listen to our friends about going inside somewhere warm.

The core body temperature drops below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), yet is still above 82 degrees.

The signs and symptoms are as follows: (Continued)

[Readymom]

Heat Exhaustion & Hypothermia



UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Field Medical Training Battalion
Camp Lejeune

Manage Environmental Cold Injuries
http://www.operationalmedicine.org/TextbookFiles/FMST_20008/FMST_1404.htm

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Given a casualty in a combat environment and standard field medical equipment and supplies, manage environmental cold injuries, to prevent further injury or death. (FMST-HSS-1404)

ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Without the aid of references, given a description or list, identify the predisposing factors associated with cold injuries, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404a)

2. Without the aid of references, given a list of symptoms, identify the types of cold injury, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404b)

3. Without the aid of references, given a list of symptoms, identify the stages of hypothermia, related to decreasing core temperature, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404c)

4. Without the aid of references, given a description or list, identify the proper treatment for cold injuries, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404d)

5. Without the aid of references, given a list, identify preventive measures for cold injuries, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404e)

6. Without the aid of references, given a simulated cold casualty and standard field medical equipment and supplies, manage environmental cold casualties, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1404f) --- continued at link, above ---

[Readymom]

From the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

THE SHIP'S MEDICINE CHEST AND MEDICAL AID AT SEA DENTAL CARE AND EMERGENCIES- Chapter 10, page 215
https://fas.org/irp/doddir/milmed/ships.pdf

IMMERSION HYPOTHERMIA, NEAR-DROWNING AND WATER SURVIVAL

INTRODUCTION
Immersion in cold water is a hazard for anyone who participates in recreational, commercial or military activities in the oceans, lakes, and streams of all but the tropical regions of the world. For practical purposes, significant risk of immersion hypothermia usually begins in water colder than 77° F. This means that the risk of immersion hypothermia in North America is nearly universal during most of the year. Cold water immersion is associated with two significant medical emergencies: near drowning and hypothermia. The following pages discuss these topics, with emphasis on the body’s response to immersion and on the treatment of hypothermia and near-drowning. The chapter concludes with a brief primer on surviving in cold water. ---CONTINUED---

Includes:

Physiological Responses to Cold Water Immersion
Levels of hypothermia and their associated signs and symptoms:
The body's responses to cold-water immersion can be divided into three stages:
Rescue and Management of Hypothermia