Medical Treatment

It is important to understand the difference between first aid and medical treatment:

• First aid is the initial care provided to a sick or injured individual before the arrival of EMS personnel.
• Medical treatment is separate from first aid in that it requires a deeper knowledge and training before implementation.

Medical treatment should only be performed by trained, medical professionals. Once a victim of hypothermia has been transferred to emergency medical care, one of the following treatment methods may be used to raise the body temperature:

• Blood re-warming: This method includes drawing, warming, and recirculating blood in the body.
• Warm intravenous fluids: This method includes injecting a warmed intravenous solution into a vein to help warm the blood.
• Airway re-warming: This method uses humidified oxygen to warm the airways and help raise body temperature.
• Irrigation: This method includes using a warm saltwater solution to warm certain areas of the body, such as around the lungs or abdominal cavity.

These types of re-warming methods must not be employed by non-medical personnel. However, it is important to note that there are medical treatments for severe hypothermia.

To learn more about Cold Stress Safety visit our Cold Stress, Illness & Injury Safety Online Training web page.