Cold Weather Emergencies
- afinch85
- Aug 17
- 3 min read
In this post we are going to cover cold weather injuries and emergencies! Per the CDC, hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. While most likely to happen in very cold temperatures, hypothermia can occur in temps above 40 degrees when a person is chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.
There are three main stages of hypothermia:
Mild Hypothermia: Body temp between 95F-89.6F
Intense shivering
Sometimes referred to as the "umbles" stage. Person mumbles when they talk, stumbles around when walking, and may fumble when trying to preform complex tasks.
Skin is pale
Extremities are cold
Person is still conscious, but may be slightly confused
Moderate Hypothermia: body temp between 89.6F-82.4F
Shivering slows and then stops
Person is significantly harder to understand when talking, or may not be able to talk at all
Person is significantly more confused and is unable to preform many tasks
Person becomes lethargic and will eventually lose consciousness
Skin may appear bluish
Severe hypothermia: body temp below 82.4F
Person is unresponsive and may appear to not be breathing or not have a pulse.
💊 First aid for hypothermia starts the same: move the person to a warm area, remove all wet clothing and replace with dry clothing if possible, cover with blankets, apply heat packs to the groin and armpits. Be cautious applying hot packs directly on the skin. For moderate to severe cases call 911 and get the person medical attention immediately. Some people may need warm IV fluids and other invasive warming measures. If you believe someone does not have a pulse, begin CPR.
Another risk associated with colder weather is frostbite. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. The areas most affected are the ears, nose, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Just like hypothermia, frostbite has three main stages:
Frostnip:
First, and only stage, that does not have permanent damage to the affected tissue
Skin is red and may feel numb or tingles
Affected are feels cold
💊 First aid: Get out of the cold and use WARM water to thaw out the affected areas. While permanent damage is not likely with this stage, follow up with your healthcare provider to make sure.
Superficial Frostbite:
Second stage where the water in the first layer of skin starts to freeze
Affected area can turn from red to pale/white
Affected area feels hard and frozen, can also become swollen and feel warm
Can lead to permanent damage in the tissue
💊 First Aid: Get out of the cold and use WARM water to thaw out the affected areas. Permanent damage is more likely with this stage, follow up with your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Avoid vigorous rubbing of the affected area as this can cause more damage.
Severe/Deep Frostbite:
The final, and most severe stage. The skin and underlying tissues are completely frozen.
Affected area has completely lost feeling. You may not be able to move the are if it is a joint like in the fingers.
Skin turns blue or black
This stage is a medical emergency. Call 911 or get the person to a hospital immediately.
💊 First Aid: Move Get out of the cold and use WARM water to thaw out the affected areas. NEVER rub the areas affected or wrap tightly. You may use blankets to lightly wrap the person to warm them up. Call 911.
Anyone can be affected by cold weather injuries and a lot of the time, due to numbing from the cold, the person may not even know until it is too late. Some people are more at risk to develop hypothermia or frostbite. These people include: the elderly, the homeless, children, people who use alcohol or recreational drugs, people with mental health disorders, people with vascular conditions, and people who have jobs or hobbies that require extended periods of time outside (hunters, construction workers, etc.) Be sure to check the weather if you plan on being outside. Wear gloves, hats, socks, water/wind resistant outer layers, and boots. Try to limit outside time in temperatures lower than 32F to 10-15 minutes at a time. Check on your elderly neighbors to ensure they have adequate heating in their homes and that they don't make unnecessary trips outside.
Disclaimer: The above information and associated graphics are not meant to be taken as advice over that given by a medical professional. If you feel that yourself or someone else is experiencing a medical emergency, do not hesitate to dial 911.
📚 Resources:
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