Recognize the Subtle Signs of Hypothermia

Decreasing body temperature often presents subtly As you arrive at the homeless shelter, a volunteer meets you and your partner and directs you to the alley behind the building. You enter the alley and see a body lying to the side of a dumpster. Moving closer, you see it’s a male in his 20s or 30s. He’s wrapped in blankets and is wearing several layers of clothes and you can’t see much more than the condensation coming from his mouth with each one of his breaths. The shelter volunteer tells you the man’s name is Jeff, that he’s a frequent guest at the shelter. Last night he didn’t show up, and volunteers found him this morning in the alley. You call his name loudly and carefully shake Jeff’s shoulder with no response other than a soft moan and a bit of facial grimace. You carefully conduct a brief assessment to look for obvious bleeding or possible weapons. Losing Heat Jeff is breathing eight times a minute with good tidal volume. He has a weak radial pulse at a rate of 80. There’s a bag next to him that includes some socks, partially eaten candy bars, a bag of chips and two mostly empty bottles of whiskey. You also find a couple insulin needles, but no insulin. There’s a prescribed bottle of Effexor (venlafaxine), which is about empty—the medication is prescribed to Jeff Reagan. After you and your partner get Jeff moved to the inside of your ambulance, you conduct a more thorough assessment. He seems to be breathing with an adequate minute volume but heâ€...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care Columns Source Type: news