When Diarrhea Is More Serious Than You Think
What Should You Do If A Fever Lasts More Than 24 Hours
A fever occurs when your body temperature rises above the average of 98.6°F (37°C). Typically, a temperature of 100°F (37.8°C) or higher is considered a fever. It often comes with symptoms like headaches, chills, and, in severe cases, confusion or delirium. Fever is usually a sign that your body is fighting an infection or illness. It can be short-lived or persist for several days, sometimes even weeks, in what is known as a persistent fever.
According to MSD Manuals, if a fever lasts more than 24 to 48 hours, it is best to consult a doctor. This is because it indicates an underlying health issue that needs prompt action. Speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Ankita Baidya, Consultant - Infectious Diseases, Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, sheds light on the common causes of persistent fever and shares what can be done about it.
Also Read: Down With Fever? Avoid These Foods During And After A Fever
What Causes Persistent Fever?Fever can be triggered by several infections and illnesses. The MSD Manual suggests that these causes can be broadly categorised as:
While infectious causes include infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, neoplastic causes include cancers like leukaemia, lymphoma, and kidney cancer, which lead to high body temperatures. Inflammatory causes include systemic rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), and giant cell arteritis.
According to Dr Baidya, some of the common causes of persistent fever are enteric fever, also known as typhoid, dengue, wherein fever can last for about seven days, and bacterial infections.
She urges a thorough investigation to understand the underlying cause.
What To Do If A Fever Lasts More Than 24 HoursA fever that lasts more than 24 hours should be immediately addressed. If it goes beyond three or four days, one should see a doctor regardless of other symptoms.
Dr Baidya says, "If there is a high fever accompanied by chills, or if a very high fever doesn't subside after taking a paracetamol tablet, and you feel weak, experience dizziness, vomiting, or any other symptoms that interfere with your routine, you should definitely see a doctor to ensure it is taken care of in time."
"You must also keep an eye out for other associated symptoms, such as severe headache, severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, cough, or any other warning signs like severe burning in urine or blood in urine. These warning signs can be indicative of some serious condition and should be thoroughly examined and investigated by a doctor or a specialist," she adds.
Also Read: Monsoon Woes: How To Prevent Typhoid Fever This Rainy Season?
How To Manage FeverBesides consulting a doctor, you must also take certain measures at home. These include:
When it comes to diet and taking certain medications, it is crucial to speak with your healthcare provider. You must make a note of the kinds of foods you can eat and should avoid. This helps prevent any interaction with the medication that you are taking, the doctor concludes.
DisclaimerAll possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.Com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers' discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.
World Records Hottest Day Ever—Here Are The U.S. Cities Breaking Heat Records This Summer
The planet recorded its hottest day ever Sunday, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, as an unrelenting string of heat waves continue to topple daily record high temperatures across the U.S.—and more records are expected to fall as heat alerts remain in effect along the West Coast and northern Rocky Mountains.
Daily temperature records fell in multiple cities in Texas and Florida, while forecasters warn ... [+] Houston and New Orleans could see more daily records.
July 20Fort Lauderdale, Florida tied a daily record for the second-straight day at 94 degrees Fahrenheit, and Orlando, Florida, set a new record of 97, while Boise, Idaho, tied a daily heat record of 93 degrees, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
July 19Fort Lauderdale tied its daily heat record (94), while Oakland, California, broke its record (96) and Corpus Christi, Texas, tied its daily record (100)
July 17Philadelphia tied its daily high temperature record of 98 degrees.
July 16Boston set a daily temperature record of 97 degrees, as did Pittsburgh (94), Manchester, New Hampshire (97), and Amarillo, Texas (105), while Hartford, Connecticut (96), and Washington D.C. (104), tied daily records.
July 15Raleigh (101) and Greensboro (99), North Carolina, set daily temperature records, joining Washington D.C. (102), Pittsburgh (96), Roanoke, Virginia (103), Annapolis, Maryland (94), and Manchester, New Hampshire (97).
July 14Fort Lauderdale, Florida (93), tied a daily heat record at 93 degrees.
July 13Pittsburgh (94), Reno, Nevada (103), and Manchester, New Hampshire (93) tied daily heat records.
July 12Reno, Nevada, broke its latest in a series of daily heat records (105), while Colorado Springs (100), Fresno, California (112) and Stockton, California (105), set a new records, and Phoenix (116), Salt Lake City (105), Flagstaff, Arizona (91), Pittsburgh (91) and Manchester, New Hampshire (93), tied daily records.
July 11Missoula, Montana, set a daily record for its second straight day at 99 degrees, joining Flagstaff, Arizona, (93), Provo, Utah (105), Sacramento, California (113), and Billings, Montana (100) to set daily heat records.
July 10Tucson, Arizona (110), Boise, Idaho (108), Missoula, Montana (101), and Manchester, New Hampshire (96), all broke daily high records, while Syracuse, New York (94), and Salt Lake City (104) tied daily records.
July 9Portland, Oregon, broke another daily record high (104), while Phoenix (116) and Tacoma, Washington (92), tied their daily records, and Tucson, Arizona (111), Reno, Nevada (105) and Seattle (98) broke their records, and a heat wave in the Northeast toppled daily records in Albany, New York (95), Manchester, New Hampshire (94).
July 8Portland, Oregon, broke its fourth consecutive daily high temperature record at a high of 102 degrees, as did Tucson, Arizona (112), Reno, Nevada (106), Spokane, Washington (100), Tacoma, Washington (90), Fresno, California (112), Flagstaff, Arizona (93), and Corpus Christi, Texas (100)—Seattle (95), Orlando, Florida (98), and New Haven, Connecticut (91) tied their daily heat records.
July 7Las Vegas shattered its previous daily record by four degrees, setting a new high of 120 degrees—an all-time record for the city—according to the National Weather Service—while Portland, Oregon (100), Seattle, Washington (93), Flagstaff, Arizona (94), Reno, Nevada (105), Fresno (114) and Bakersfield, California (114), broke daily records, Orlando, Florida, tied its daily record (97), and Death Valley, California, tied a daily record of 129 degrees (just one degree shy of the hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet).
July 6Las Vegas broke another daily record high of 115 degrees, as did Portland, Oregon (99), Salem, Oregon (103), Reno, Nevada (105), Stockton (111), Fresno (112), Bakersfield (112) and Sacramento (113), California, while Raleigh (102) and Charlotte, North Carolina (99) tied their daily record highs .
July 5Raleigh, North Carolina, broke its latest in a string of daily heat records with a high of 106 degrees, while Phoenix hit a record daily high of a whopping 118 degrees—and Shreveport, Louisiana (100), Tucson, Arizona (111), and Portland, Oregon (95) all tied their daily records.
July 4San Francisco broke a daily record high at 87 degrees, while Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tied its record (93), as did Raleigh, North Carolina (101), and Knoxville, Tennessee (97).
July 3Tampa, Florida, broke its daily heat record at a high of 97, while Baton Rouge, Louisiana (99) tied its daily record—and in California, Oakland broke its second straight record at 94.
July 2A heat wave in California brought a new daily record in Oakland (90) and San Jose (102), while in the South, New Orleans (98) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (102) tied their daily heat records.
July 1Mobile, Alabama, broke a daily heat record at 98 degrees, and Houston tied its daily high (96).
June 30Richmond, Virginia, broke a daily record of 101 degrees, and Norfolk, Virginia, tied its record at 97.
June 29Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tied its daily record high at 94.
June 28Fort Lauderdale broke a daily record high at 93 degrees.
June 27Key West, Florida, broke its daily record high at 97 degrees.
June 26Memphis (99), Philadelphia (96) and Baltimore (99) all tied their daily record highs, while Atlanta (100), Washington D.C. (99), Birmingham, Alabama (101), Columbia, South Carolina (105), and Raleigh, North Carolina (103) broke their records.
June 25St. Louis (103), Montgomery, Alabama (101), Columbia, South Carolina (106) and Pensacola, Florida (97), all broke daily record highs, with Tallahassee, Florida (101), as well as Mobile (98) and Birmingham, Alabama (101), tying their daily records.
June 24Birmingham, Alabama (99), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (100), tied their daily high temperature records as a heat wave stretched across the South and Great Plains, also breaking a daily record in Topeka, Kansas (102), Jacksonville, Florida (102), and tying one in Lincoln, Nebraska (103).
June 23Baltimore set a daily high temperature record at 98 degrees, and Washington D.C. Broke its daily record at 99.
June 22Richmond, Virginia, tied its daily high temperature record at 99, as did Atlanta (98), while Reno, Nevada, broke its record of 101, Baltimore broke a record at 101 and Washington D.C. Broke its record at a high of 100.
June 21Bangor (96 degrees) and Portland, Maine (94) set new daily record high temperatures, according to the National Weather Service, while Newark, New Jersey tied its daily record at 100 degrees and in the Southwest, Phoenix tied its daily record high at a whopping 117 degrees.
June 20Hartford, Connecticut, set a daily high temperature record of 98, according to the NWS, as a heat wave doggedly hovered over New England, also setting a new daily record in Portland, Maine at 94 degrees, and Manchester, New Hampshire (99).
June 19Daily temperature records fell across New England, including in Boston (98), Hartford, Connecticut (97), Worcester, Massachusetts (91), and Providence, Rhode Island (91), while in New York, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse all tied their daily records (90, 94 and 95, respectively), and Cleveland tied a record at 92.
June 18Manchester, New Hampshire, broke its daily record at 97 degrees, as did Scranton, Pennsylvania (94), meanwhile Chicago tied a daily record at 95.
June 17Chicago hit a new daily heat record with temperatures rising to 97 degrees, while Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Milwaukee all tied their records at 93, 93 and 94 degrees, respectively, Cleveland broke its record (96) Syracuse, New York, broke a daily record (94), Louisville, Kentucky, broke a record (96), and in Toledo, Ohio, residents saw a new daily record of 99 degrees—Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also tied its record (92), as did McAllen, Texas, at 101.
June 16Tampa, Florida, tied its daily record high of 98, while Huntsville, Alabama, tied its record (98), Brownsville, Texas, tied a record (99), and Corpus Christi, Texas, broke its record (98).
June 15New Orleans tied its daily record of 97 degrees, while Pensacola, Florida, broke its daily record at a sweltering 98.
June 14McAllen, Texas, tied its daily record of 103 degrees, while New Orleans broke its record at 96.
June 13El Paso, Texas, broke a daily temperature record with a high of 109 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, while Colorado Springs set a daily record of 96, Boulder, Colorado, set a new daily record at 99, Albuquerque broke its record at 101—and in Texas, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and El Paso all set new daily records at 98, 99, 104 and 109, respectively.
June 12Tucson, Arizona, broke its daily record of 108 degrees, while Provo, Utah, broke its daily record at 100, as did Fort Collins, Colorado (97), and Brownsville, Texas (99), while Reno, Nevada, tied its daily record at 99.
June 11San Juan, Puerto Rico, tied a daily record max temperature at 93 degrees, and in Florida, Jacksonville tied its daily record of 98, while Flagstaff, Arizona, tied a daily record of its own, at 88.
June 10Fort Lauderdale, Florida, set its latest daily high at 94 degrees, while Orlando tied its daily record (97).
June 9For the third straight day, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Florida, broke daily heat records, with the high temperature reaching 96 degrees in Fort Lauderdale and 102 up the Atlantic Coast in Jacksonville—meanwhile, Orlando (98) and Miami (94) tied their daily heat records.
June 8Fort Lauderdale, Florida, set a new daily record at 96 degrees as a heat wave dragged on through the South, also setting daily records in Orlando (98), Jacksonville, Florida, (99), New Orleans (96), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (98).
June 7Las Vegas broke another daily record 15 110 degrees, while Albuquerque's temperature soared to 113 degrees, a daily high tying the city's all-time record, and in Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville broke their daily records at 95 and 100 degrees, respectively, with Orlando tying a record at 96, and Mobile, Alabama, breaking its all-time daily high at 98.
June 6Las Vegas broke its previous record daily high, hitting 111 degrees according to the National Weather Service, and it also tied the record for the earliest day above 110 degrees, while Death Valley, California—one of the hottest places on Earth—recorded a new daily high at 122 degrees, Phoenix broke its daily record high when it hit 113 degrees and Fresno, California, broke a daily record at 107 degrees.
June 4For the third straight day, Tampa broke a daily heat record, peaking at 98 degrees, while San Antonio, Texas, saw a daily record of 103, and Brownsville, Texas, hit a daily record (99).
June 3Tampa broke a daily record high for the second straight day (94 degrees), while some cities in New England also broke records, including New Haven, Connecticut (83), and Manchester, New Hampshire (86).
June 2Tampa broke another daily heat record, at 96 degrees, while records continued to fall in Texas, with Brownsville breaking its daily record at 99 and Corpus Christi tying its daily record (96).
June 1Fort Lauderdale, Florida, broke its daily record high at 98 degrees, while Key West tied a record at 90.
May 31Las Vegas, Nevada, tied its daily record high temperature of 104 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, which warns residents to prepare for "dangerous" heat early next week.
May 31San Juan, Puerto Rico, broke its previous daily high of 93 degrees, recording a daily high at 94 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
May 30Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Florida, both broke daily high temperatures, at 96 and 100 degrees, respectively, while Orlando tied its daily record of 96.
May 29Tampa set a new daily record at 97 degrees, while Orlando set a new record (97 degrees), Fort Lauderdale broke its daily record (96), while Miami (94) and Key West (92) tied their daily records.
May 29New Orleans also broke a daily record with a high of 94 degrees, while in Texas, McAllen set its latest record at 101 degrees—its sixth consecutive daily record temperature.
May 28Fort Lauderdale, Florida, broke its daily heat record by four degrees, with temperatures peaking at 95 degrees.
May 28New Orleans tied its all-time daily record for May 28 at 96 degrees, while multiple cities in Texas broke their daily records, with Brownsville hitting a high of 100, Corpus Christi maxing out at 96 and McAllen hitting its fifth straight daily record high at a blistering 102 degrees.
May 27McAllen, Texas, saw its fourth consecutive new daily record with a high of 101 degrees, while in Florida, Fort Lauderdale set a record for the city at 99 degrees.
May 26Daily temperature records fell across south Florida on Sunday, including in Miami (96 degrees), Fort Lauderdale (96 degrees) and West Palm Beach (95 degrees), with each city breaking its old daily high by two degrees.
May 26Brownsville, Texas, tied its latest in a string of daily records at 98 degrees on Sunday, making it the hottest daily high since 1928, while McAllen, Texas, set a daily high at 103 degrees, and Dallas set a new daily record at 98 degrees.
May 25A handful of Texas cities saw new daily heat records as the heat wave continued, including McAllen (100) and Brownsville (99), while Fort Worth tied its daily record, at 95 degrees.
May 25Across the South, Texarkana, Arkansas, also tied its daily record (93), while Baton Rouge, Louisiana, set a new daily high (95).
May 24Del Rio, Texas, tied its daily and monthly record temperature at 109 degrees on Friday, before topping its monthly record again at a high of 112 degrees on Sunday, the third hottest day ever recorded in the south Texas city, according to the National Weather Service.
May 24The cities of Brownsville and McAllen, Texas—on the Mexican border—both set daily records at 100 and 102 degrees, respectively.
May 24Pittsburgh tied its daily record, with an 84 degree reading at the Pittsburgh Allegheny County Airport.
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The global average surface air temperature on Sunday, July 21, reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit) according to data from Copernicus—the hottest day since at least 1940 (Copernicus data dates to the mid-20th century). The record comes as scientists continue to warn about devastating and long-range effects of human-caused climate change sparked by fossil fuel emissions, which scientists warn will exacerbate heat waves, intensify major storm systems and lead to sea-level rise and prolonged drought.
Forecasters also believe excessive heat will also drive up the number of named tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic this year, with meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting the 2024 season will bring a record 17 to 25 named storms, including up to 13 hurricanes, with four to seven of those intensifying into category 3 hurricanes (maximum sustained wind speeds of 111 mph or greater). If that prediction holds up, it would far outpace the yearly average of just over 14 named storms observed over the past 30 years, and potentially outnumber the busy 2023 season, which brought 19 named storms and seven hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season officially started on June 1.
Outdoor Action Guide To
Tuesday August 13, 2024 by Rick Curtis Traveling in cold weather conditions can be life threatening. The information provided here is designed for educational use only and is not a substitute for specific training or experience. Princeton University and the author assume no liability for any individual's use of or reliance upon any material contained or referenced herein. Medical research on hypothermia and cold injuries is always changing knowledge and treatment. When going into cold conditions it is your responsibility to learn the latest information. The material contained in this workshop may not be the most current. How We Lose Heat to the Environment
Example: Generally conductive heat loss accounts for only about 2% of overall loss. However, with wet clothes the loss is increased 5x.
Cold Challenge - (negative factors)
Heat Retention - (positive factors)
Heat Production - (positive factors)
Total = Heat Production
Heat Retention + Heat Production less than Cold Challenge = Hypothermia InsulationBody FatSurface to Volume ratioShell to Core shunting ExerciseShivering TemperatureWetnessWind Your Body Core Temperature1. Heat is both required and produced at the cellular level. The environment acts as either a heating or a cooling force on the body. The body must be able to generate heat, retain heat, and discharge heat depending on the body activity and ambient external temperature.
2. Body temperature is a measure of the metabolism - the general level of chemical activity within the body.
3. The hypothalamus is the major center of the brain for regulating body temperature. It is sensitive to blood temperature changes of as little as 0.5 degrees Celsius and also reacts to nerve impulses received from nerve endings in the skin.
4. The optimum temperature for chemical reactions to take place in the body is 98.6 degrees F. Above 105 F many body enzymes become denatured and chemical reactions cannot take place leading to death. Below 98.6 F chemical reactions slow down with various complications which can lead to death.
5. Core = the internal body organs, particularly the heart, lungs, and brain.Periphery = the appendages, skin, and muscle tissue.
6. Core temperature is the temperature that is essential to the overall metabolic rate of the body. The temperature of the periphery is not critical.
How Your Body Regulates Core Temperature1. Vasodilation - increases surface blood flow, increases heat loss (when ambient temperature is less that body temperature). Maximal vasodilation can increase cutaneous blood flow to 3000 ml/minute (average flow is 300-500 ml/minute).
2. Vasoconstriction - decreases blood flow to periphery, decreases heat loss. Maximal vasoconstriction can decrease cutaneous blood flow to 30 ml/minute.
3. Sweating - cools body through evaporative cooling
4. Shivering - generates heat through increase in chemical reactions required for muscle activity. Visible shivering can maximally increase surface heat production by 500%. However, this is limited to a few hours because of depletion of muscle glucose and the onset of fatigue.
5. Increasing/Decreasing Activity will cause corresponding increases in heat production and decreases in heat production.
6. Behavioral Responses - putting on or taking off layers of clothing will result in heat regulation
Hypothermia1. Hypothermia - "a decrease in the core body temperature to a level at which normal muscular and cerebral functions are impaired." - Medicine for Mountaineering
2. Conditions Leading to Hypothermia
3. What are "hypothermia" temperatures
4. Signs and Symptoms of Hypothermia
a. Watch for the "-Umbles" - stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, and grumbles which show changes in motor coordination and levels of consciousness
b. Mild Hypothermia - core temperature 98.6 - 96 degrees F
c. Moderate Hypothermia - core temperature 95 - 93 degrees F
d. Severe Hypothermia - core temperature 92 - 86 degrees and below (immediately life threatening)
e. Death from Hypothermia
5. How to Assess if someone is Hypothermic
The basic principles of rewarming a hypothermic victim are to conserve the heat they have and replace the body fuel they are burning up to generate that heat. If a person is shivering, they have the ability to rewarm themselves at a rate of 2 degrees C per hour.
Mild - Moderate Hypothermia1. Reduce Heat Loss
2. Add Fuel & Fluids
It is essential to keep a hypothermic person adequately hydrated and fueled.
a. Food types
b. Food intake
c. Things to avoid
3. Add Heat
1. Reduce Heat Loss
2. Add Fuel & Fluids
3. Add Heat
Heat can be applied to transfer heat to major arteries - at the neck for the carotid, at the armpits for the brachial, at the groin for the femoral, at the palms of the hands for the arterial arch.
Is a situation in which the core temperature actually decreases during rewarming. This is caused by peripheral vessels in the arms and legs dilating if they are rewarmed. This dilation sends this very cold, stagnate blood from the periphery to the core further decreasing core temperature which can lead to death. In addition, this blood also is very acetic which may lead to cardiac arrythmias and death. Afterdrop can best be avoided by not rewarming the periphery. Rewarm the core only! Do not expose a severely hypothermic victim to extremes of heat.
CPR & HypothermiaWhen a person is in severe hypothermia they may demonstrate all the accepted clinical signs of death:
But they still may be alive in a "metabolic icebox" and can be revived. You job as a rescuer is to rewarm the person and do CPR if indicated. A hypothermia victim is never cold and dead only warm and dead. During severe hypothermia the heart is hyperexcitable and mechanical stimulation (such as CPR, moving them or Afterdrop) may result in fibrillation leading to death. As a result CPR may be contraindicated for some hypothermia situations:
1. Make sure you do a complete assessment of heart rate before beginning CPR. Remember, the heart rate may be 2-3/minute and the breathing rate 1/30 seconds. Instituting cardiac compressions at this point may lead to life-threatening arrythmias. Check the carotid pulse for a longer time period (up to a minute) to ascertain if there is some slow heartbeat. Also, even though the heart is beating very slowly, it is filling completely and distributing blood fairly effectively. External cardiac compressions only are 20-30% effective. Thus, with its severely decreased demands, the body may be able to satisfy its circulatory needs with only 2-3 beats per minute. Be sure the pulse is absent before beginning CPR. You will need to continue to do CPR as you rewarm the person.
2. Ventilation may have stopped but respiration may continue - the oxygen demands for the body have been so diminished with hypothermia that the body may be able to survive for some time using only the oxygen that is already in the body. If ventilation has stopped, artificial ventilation may be started to increase available oxygen. In addition, blowing warm air into the persons lungs may assist in internal rewarming.
3. CPR Procedures
Tissue temperature in cold weather is regulated by two factors, the external temperature and the internal heat flow. All cold injuries described below are intimately connected with the degree of peripheral circulation. As peripheral circulation is reduced to prevent heat loss to the core these conditions are more likely to occur.
1. Factors influencing cold injuries
2. Cold-induced Vasodilation - When a hand or foot is cooled to 59 degrees F, maximal vasoconstriction and minimal blood flow occur. If cooling continues to 50 degrees, vasoconstriction is interrupted by periods of vasodilation with an increase in blood and heat flow. This "hunting" response recurs in 5-10 minute cycles to provide some protection from cold. Prolonged, repeated exposure increases this response and offers some degree of acclimatization. Ex. Eskimos have a strong response with short intervals in between.
3. Pathophysiology of Tissue Freezing - As tissue begins to freeze, ice crystals are formed within the cells. As intracellular fluids freeze, extracellular fluid enters the cell and there is an increase in the levels of extracellular salts due to the water transfer. Cells may rupture due to the increased water and/or from tearing by the ice crystals. Do not rub tissue; it causes cell tearing from the ice crystals. As the ice melts there is an influx of salts into the tissue further damaging the cell membranes. Cell destruction results in tissue death and loss of tissue. Tissue can't freeze if the temperature is above 32 degrees F. It has to be below 28 degrees F because of the salt content in body fluids. Distal areas of the body and areas with a high surface to volume ratio are the most susceptible (e.G ears, nose, fingers and toes - this little rhyme should help remind you what to watch out for in yourself and others).
4. Cold Response
5. Frostnip
Treatment
6. Frostbite
Treatment
7. Rewarming of Frostbite
8. Special Considerations for Frostbite
9. Trench Foot - Immersion Foot
Trench foot is a process similar to chillblains. It is caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to cool, wet conditions. This can occur at temperatures as high as 60 degrees F if the feet are constantly wet. This can happen with wet feet in winter conditions or wet feet in much warmed conditions (ex. Sea kayaking). The mechanism of injury is as follows: wet feet lose heat 25x faster than dry, therefore the body uses vasoconstriction to shut down peripheral circulation in the foot to prevent heat loss. Skin tissue begins to die because of lack of oxygen and nutrients and due to buildup of toxic products. The skin is initially reddened with numbness, tingling pain, and itching then becomes pale and mottled and finally dark purple, grey or blue. The effected tissue generally dies and sluffs off. In severe cases trench foot can involve the toes, heels, or the entire foot. If circulation is impaired for > 6 hours there will be permanent damage to tissue. If circulation is impaired for > 24 hours the victim may lose the entire foot. Trench Foot cuases permanent damage to the circulatory system making the person more prone to cold related injuries in that area. A similar phenomenon can occur when hands are kept wet for long periods of time such as kayaking with wet gloves or pogies. The damage to the circulatory system is known as Reynaud's Phenomenon.
Treatment and Prevention of Trench foot
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