How to Give First Aid Against Hypothermia and Freezing?

After the 7.7 earthquake that took place at 04.17 in the morning in Kahramanmaraş, aftershocks and then the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred at 13.24, we are experiencing one of the greatest pains in our history. Meanwhile, while trying to deliver aid to those in need, both the public and the authorities continue to work in the field.

Meanwhile, people in the region face threats such as hypothermia due to winter conditions. Others stay in cars to protect themselves from the cold, as the houses are at risk of collapse. In addition, the lack of knowledge about first aid can trigger different problems. So what to do about these issues?

First of all, what should be done in the face of hypothermia?

Symptoms of hypothermia:

• Severe tremor at first, unconsciousness at lower temperatures
• Difficulty speaking, murmuring
• Blushing on the body or lips
• slow breathing
• fatigue, lethargy
• weak heart rate
• body temperature below 35 degrees Celsius

The slow development of these symptoms may cause hypothermia not to be recognized at that moment.

Beware…

• With hot water, shower and similar means,
• By rubbing the body hard and fast,
• Do not try to warm the body with products such as alcohol and cigarettes.

Sudden temperature change, which occurs with fast and triggering movements, can cause rhythm irregularities in the heart. This may cause you to make the situation worse while trying to help.

Try to implement these instead:

• First of all, you need to make sure that you are protected against the cold. To do this, you can ‘gently’ move the injured/sick person to a confined space.
• When you are out of contact with the cold, remove wet clothing from the casualty/patient and change to dry clothes such as blankets or jackets.

If it is not possible to move it to a closed place:

• Protect the head and neck areas of the casualty/patient from the wind. At the same time, cut off contact with the cold ground.

To warm the person in question:

• You should avoid methods that can cause sudden temperature changes. For this reason, make dry and warm compresses. Focus on the neck, chest and groin areas.
• You can drink non-alcoholic beverages, such as warm soup, that are not hot in small sips. Ensure that the person does not sleep during the entire process.
• Wait for the paramedics to arrive at your place. Although first aid saves lives, hypothermia is a condition that needs to be treated in the hospital.

Let’s talk about what to do in case of freezing:

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First of all, hypothermia occurs when blood circulation decreases throughout the body due to a decrease in body temperature. Freezing occurs when the fluids in the body tissues freeze at low temperatures and the cell walls break down due to freezing, resulting in cell death.

How can you understand the freezing state?

• Colors resembling purple at the point where tissue movement slows down
• Redness and pain in previously frozen areas such as hands, feet and nose
• In the next step of these rashes, numbness occurs in that area.
• Before all this, a situation resembling tingling may be experienced.
• As the condition progresses, the skin color that starts with white progresses from red to blue/purple in the affected areas.

As with hypothermia, here are some things you should definitely not do:

• With hot water, shower and similar means,
• By rubbing the body hard and fast,
• Do not try to warm the body with products such as alcohol and cigarettes.

What you need to do is quite similar to those in hypothermia. But there are additional ones:

• First of all, make sure your hands are clean against the risk of infection.
• After that, continue the heating process for at least 30 minutes.
• Stop when the frostbite area can be felt and easily moved again.
• When all frozen areas are thawed, ‘gently’ wrap the fingers and toes separately with bandages.
• Ensure that no pressure is exerted on the frost-affected parts by the casualty.
• When the blood flow begins to return to the frozen parts, pain may occur. For this, you can give painkillers to the injured, if available.

Don’t forget to call 112.

With the right intervention, you can save lives. However, both of these conditions will need to be treated by medical teams in the hospital. Therefore, inform the authorities as soon as possible and try to keep the casualty stable.

We will be transmitting the latest information on all our platforms during the earthquake process. You can see the developments so far below.

Sources: National Health System, National Health System (Hypothermia), Prof. Dr. Serkan Şener, WebMD, BritishRedCross, TR Ministry of Health