View source for New Where There Is No Doctor:Cold Emergencies

{{bctrail|segments=3|chapterurl=Chapter 3: First Aid|chaptitle=First Aid}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Cold Emergencies}}
{{SideSupplement|bookabbreviation=nwtnd||pagealt=is from the<br> Advance Chapters of the|notforsale=true|chapterpdf=http://hesperian.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/en_nwtnd_2011/en_nwtnd_2014_03g.pdf|booktitle=NEW Where There Is No Doctor}}
{{chaptertoc|In this chapter:|
<ul class{{=}}"noprint noepub">
<li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Chapter 3: First Aid|First Aid]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Chapter 3: First Aid#Establish Calm and Control|Establish Calm and Control]]</li>
<li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Loss of Consciousness|Loss of Consciousness]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Breathing|Breathing]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:No Heartbeat|No Heartbeat]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Bleeding|Bleeding]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Shock|Shock]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Wounds|Wounds]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Deep Wounds|Deep Wounds]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Infection|Infection]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Sepsis|Sepsis]]</li>
<li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Tetanus (lockjaw)|Tetanus (lockjaw)]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Spine and Neck Injuries|Spine and Neck Injuries]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Head Injuries|Head Injuries]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Chest Wounds and Broken Ribs|Chest Wounds and Broken Ribs]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Abdomen Injuries and Wounds|Abdomen Injuries and Wounds]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Heart Attack|Heart Attack]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Broken Bones, Dislocations, and Sprains|Broken Bones, Dislocations, and Sprains]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Bruises|Bruises]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Rape|Rape]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Burns|Burns]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Electric shock|Electric shock]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Chemical Burns|Chemical Burns]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Police Weapons|Police Weapons]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Mental Health Emergency|Mental Health Emergency]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Poison|Poison]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Diabetic Emergencies|Diabetic Emergencies]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Seizures, Convulsions|Seizures, Convulsions]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Stings and Bites|Stings and Bites]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Allergy: Mild or Severe (Anaphylaxis)|Allergy: Mild or Severe (Anaphylaxis)]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Heat Emergencies|Heat Emergencies]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Cold Emergencies|Cold Emergencies]]</li>
    <li>[[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Antibiotics Fight Infection: First Aid|Medicines]]</li>
</ul>}}
===Hypothermia, getting too cold===
Being too cold for too long can be deadly. It can quickly cause confusion, affect judgment and make it harder to think clearly about how to get warm. 

=====Signs=====
* Shivering 
* Fast breathing and heart rate 
* Difficulty speaking clearly, clumsiness 
* Confusion 
* Having to urinate more
<br>
As hypothermia gets worse, the pulse and breathing may slow down. The person may sit down, stop shivering, and in her confusion may start to take off clothes. Eventually she can pass out or die. 

=====Treatment=====
Give [[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Breathing#rescue|rescue breathing]] if needed. A very cold person can recover after a long time of not breathing, so you may need to give rescue breathing for an hour or more. 
* Get somewhere warm and dry. 
* Remove wet clothes. 
* Cover in warm, dry blankets. Be sure to cover head, hands,<br> and feet. 
* Do all you can to keep the person warm. Cuddle up close to the person, heat stones and then wrap them in cloth, or use hot water bottles to warm the person. But beware of burning the skin. 

<div style="position: relative; width: 434px; height: 270px; font-style: italic; line-height: 110%; float:left; margin:auto; float:left; top:15px;">[[Image:NWTND_fa_Page_58-1.png|200px|left|alt=a person being treated for hypothermia.]]
<div style="position: absolute;  top: 30px; left: 175px;">Dry clothes, blankets, and a hat</div>
<div style="position: absolute;  top: 90px; left:195px;width:240px;">Body heat (or hot stones, or hot water bottles)</div>
<div style="position: absolute;  top:150px; left: 215px;">Warm, sweet drinks</div>
<div style="position: absolute;  top:195px; left: 15px;">Folded blankets or cardboard<br>protect from the cold ground</div></div>{{clr}}
If the person can sit up and hold a cup, give warm drinks. Do not give alcoholic drinks. While they may feel “hot” in your throat or stomach, alcoholic drinks cause the body to lose heat. Also give food. Candy and sweets are especially helpful. Give a meal soon after. Encourage the person to drink plenty of water. 

If the person has severe hypothermia—a body temperature of 32° C (90°F) or less, is unconscious, not shivering anymore—be as gentle as you can while quickly transporting her to help.

===Frostbite (frozen body parts)===
Toes, fingers, ears, and other body parts can freeze. Eventually they “die,” turning black. If you act fast at the first signs of frostbite, you can save these body parts that otherwise might need to be cut off. 

====Signs====
* Skin cold, waxy, pale, splotchy 
* Tingling, numbness, or pain 
* The body part may be frozen hard 
<br>
Light, mild frostbite turns the skin red. A few days later it peels. If it is a bit deeper, frostbite leaves the skin feeling hard, but soft underneath. Blisters may form the next day. When the muscle freezes, the frostbite is deep. The area is hard. It may blister only at the edges, or not at all. The blisters may fill with blood.

====Treatment====

<div style="position:relative; width:180px; height:190px; float:right;">[[Image:NWTND_fa_Page_59-1.png|120px|center|alt=a woman with arms crossed and hands inside her shirt.]]</div>
Get out of the cold and quickly warm the frozen part. For fingers, the easiest thing is for the person to hold her hands in her own armpits or between her thighs. Or wrap the frozen parts in warm, dry cloths. Keep the frozen area still and try not to walk on frostbitten feet. 

For deeper frostbite, fill a basin with warm (not hot) water. If you have a thermometer, try for 39° C (102°F.) Soak the frozen part in the water. Check the water first to prevent burns. '''Do not rub'''.
 
The frozen part should thaw within 45 minutes. As it warms, it will hurt. Give [[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Medicines_for_Pain:_First_Aid|pain medicine]]. Do not let it become frozen again. 
{{openbox|It is better to let the area stay frozen<br> than to thaw it and let it freeze again.}}
As frostbite heals over the coming days and weeks, treat it as you would a [[New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Burns|burn]]. 
<br>
<div style="position: relative; width: 325px; height: 120px; font-style: italic; line-height: 110%;">[[Image:NWTND_fa_Page_59-2.png|120px|left|alt=an Aloe vera plant.]]
<div style="position: absolute; top: 5px; left: 95px;">Aloe helps heal frostbite<br> and burns.</div></div>


{{Previous and next sections|Heat Emergencies|Antibiotics Fight Infection: First Aid}}
[[es:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Emergencias_causadas_por_el_frío]]
[[en:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Cold_Emergencies]]
[[ht:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Kriz_fredi]]
[[sw:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Dharura_kutokana_na_baridi_kali]]
[[pt:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Emergências_devido_ao_frio]]
[[ha:New_Where_There_Is_No_Doctor:Matalolin_sanyi_dake_buƙatar_gaggawa]]
{{LastEditDate}}