Does Eating Snow Cause Hypothermia?

A Rescue Fan wrote in and basically said, “Hey! Bad advice! Everyone knows that eating snow when stranded in the wilderness is a bad idea. It can make a person hypothermic!”

As I thought about their comment, I began to do some research and then some deeper thought on the subject.
I instantly began to wonder if the commenter had a point. Is it better to slow down the hypothermia that may be already causing symptoms or die from dehydration?

Remember, hypothermia usually sets in as quick as 3 hours or less in certain cases while life threatening dehydration can take up to 3 days. So, if you’re surviving the elements long enough to dehydrate, you’re probably staying somewhat warm. If so, then consuming snow or melted snow and getting hypothermic as a result is probably the last of your concerns when thinking about staying alive. For if you survive the elements, dehydration and death will be knocking in about 2-3 days.

http://www.livescience.com/32320-how-long-can-a-person-survive-without-water.html

What Is Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis?

Hello Rescuers!

I received an email from a RoyOnRescue friend who had suffered a head injury while playing a sport.  After being seen by the doctor he was diagnosed with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis or (CVST).  He had asked me if I would give my explanation of what it is and if it was something he should be worried about.  His doctor had exCSVTplained it but he was still a bit foggy regarding the diagnosis.  Well, after looking into it from the clinical perspective, I realized that it was a pretty big deal and in some cases may be fatal.  I researched multiple sources to gather credible information and when it all came down to brass tacks, I found that the Wikipedia explanation had done a pretty dog-gone good job of summarizing CSVT.  So, with all credit given to them for most of this article and a link back to their website, here it is.

I have personally responded and treated many different types of head injuries as a paramedic but had not researched this problem to this level.  Then, shortly after receiving this question, I read that  Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was diagnosed and hospitalized with the very same problem secondary to her head injury!  Ironic.   So, I thought to myself, if two people experienced this problem secondary to a common traumatic head injury(concussion), there may be more with the same question.

Here’s my trimmed-down version of what it is, what it’s symptoms are, how to determine if it is truly CSVT and then what a person may want to do if they think they may be suffering from such a complication.  So let’s dig into some of the questions you may have!  P.S.  You’ll notice there are more links then usual in this article.  The topic is so complex and has so many different facets I thought it wise to allow you to do some of your own information mining and hope the links make it easier.

Q:  What is a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis anyway?

A:  A CVST is the presence of thrombosis (a blood clot) in the dural venous sinuses, which drain blood from the brain. 

Q:  What causes a CVST?

A:  There can be many causes of CVST.  Here is a few I included:

Q:  How might I know if I have a CVST?

A: Headache that may worsen over the period of several days, but may also develop suddenly.  Strangely the headache may be the only symptom of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.  Stroke, 40% of all patients have seizures, Common symptoms in the elderly with this condition are otherwise unexplained changes in mental status and a depressed level of consciousness.  The pressure around the brain may rise, causing papilledema (swelling of the optic disc) which may be experienced as visual problems.  In severely raised intracranial pressure, the level of consciousness is decreased, the blood pressure rises, the heart rate falls.  This is a common symptom found in closed head injuries which makes sense as the mechanism is very similar.

Q:  How will the doctor know if this is what I have?

A:  The most commonly used tests are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both using various types of radiocontrast to perform a venogram and  visualise the veins around the brain

Q:  How is a CVST treated and cured?

A: Treatment is with anticoagulants (medication that suppresses blood clotting), and rarely thrombolysis (enzymatic destruction of the blood clot). Given that there is usually an underlying cause for the disease, tests may be performed to look for these. The disease may be complicated by raised intracranial pressure, which may warrant surgical intervention such as the placement of a shunt.

AmbulanceQ:  Can this be serious?

A:  Yes.  Like any illness or injury that causes a problem with the circulation of oxygenated blood to our tissues, this type of problem can be very dangerous if left untreated.  It also runs a risk of complication in that it raises the intracranial pressures which can act similar to a closed head injury and this too can cause severe injury or death.  If a person has any of the symptoms listed above, they should be seen as soon as possible to rule out this potentially life threatening disorder.  If a person is reacting with decreased level of consciousness, or any type of life threatening complications, activation of Emergency Medical Services or 911 should be immediate with life saving or time buying intervention given.

 

I hope this helps and keep well!

See Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_venous_sinus_thrombosis

http://neurology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2007/515/2

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/705510_3

 

 

Vomiting, Diarrhea And Dehydration, Oh My!

Some time ago, I received an emailed question asking if I could do an episode on Food Poisoning. 3 days ago, my little girl, 7, came down with symptoms that were really similar to that of Food Poisoning. After doing my own research and then calling the doctor, I thought it would be a great time to address this somewhat common and sometimes dangerous problem. Some of the suggestions given, are those that the Pediatrician gave me after my daughter had been unable to keep even a sip of water down for over 36 hours! She was pale, dry and if I’m not mistaken, it seemed like her eye sockets were indeed a bit sunken. She’s feeling better now going into hour 49 and is now holding down water, Gatorade, and a BRATY( Bread, Rice, AppleSauce, Toast, Yogurt)diet. I hope this helps anyone else who has been suffering with the flu or food poisoning. Remember, the leading reason people die from vomiting and diarrhea is due to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and organ failure. Don’t wait until the last minute to get advanced medical attention and if it seems like the person is becoming dehydrated, get help right away. Oh, and if you’re weak or dizzy, don’t try to drive yourself in to the hospital…that’s what 911 is for!

Best Wishes and God bless you as we enter into this most Holy season of Easter,

Roy Shaw, RoyOnRescue.com

Staying Safe In The Heat

QUESTION:

“It’s so hot where we live and it seems that we have elderly people who suffer most when it gets hot and humid.  Is there anything I can do to stay cool myself and maybe even help someone who is having a heat related health problem?”

Signed,

Melting in Florida

Dear Melting,

Benjamin Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This saying applies to many different health care related scenarios, heat related emergencies certainly not the least of them.

When staying safe and healthy in hot and humid weather it is important to understand what types of environments will put one at risk.

To get started, let’s take a look at how a heat index works.

A heat index combines air temperature with relative humidity as a way of determining how hot a person feels.  A person feels hotter in more humid climates because the moisture in the air does not allow one’s perspiration to carry the heat generated by the body away and evaporate as easily.  When the body cannot cool itself by perspiration and evaporation, the body’s temperature rises and one may feel less comfortable or may even lead to more serious heat related problem.

An example of what could take place in certain heat indexes are as follows:

  1. 80–90 °F  Caution — fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity. Prolonged activity could result in heat cramps.
  2. 90-105 °F  Extreme Caution — heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are possible.  Prolonged exposure and activity could result in heat stroke.
  3. 105-130 °F  Danger — heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are likely; heat stroke is probable with continued activity.
  4. Over 130 °F Extreme danger — heat stroke is imminent.                                                                                                                                                                                               (Please note that these are shade values.  Exposure to direct full sunshine could increase these heat values by more than 10 degrees.) Closely paraphrased from the public domain article Heat Index on the website of the Pueblo, CO United States National Weather Service.

Most individuals can indeed acclimatize to heat which will help the body tolerate hotter conditions with less stress to the body.  This process for normal healthy individuals usually takes about 5 -7 days.  This should be done gradually and with a person maintaining good hydration.  A person is capable of sweating up to 2-3 gallons of water per day in hot conditions and cannot rely on the thirst drive in order to know when to drink.  During heavy sweating, a person should be drinking approximately 5-7 ounces every 15 minutes 20-30 ounces per hour in order to replenish lost fluids.  Valuable electrolytes such as sodium, calcium and potassium may be lost during heavy perspiration and should be replaced with proper nutrition and diet. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hotenvt.html

Those who are most vulnerable to these heat indexes include:

  • infants,
  • the elderly (often with associated heart diseases, lung diseases, kidney diseases, or who are taking medications that make them vulnerable to heat strokes),
  • athletes, and
  • outdoor workers physically exerting themselves under the sun.

or

Those who do not have means for escaping the heat.  Some examples of how to escape the heat include:

  1. Circulation of air by fan or ventilation,
  2. Accessing lakes, ponds or pools
  3. Air conditioning or subterranean cooling like a vegetable cellar or cool basement.
  4. In certain cases, placing ice bags under arm pits or around the neck or over other arteries like the wrists, ankles, top of head which may help in cooling core body temperatures.
  5. Cool or tepid bath water or a cool shower

If an individual does not have means of cooling and succumbs to the heat they may be suffering from heat fatigue, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Let’s take a look at each of these and how to treat each problem.

Definition Heat Fatigue: The signs and symptoms of heat fatigue may include heavy sweating, muscle weakness, tiredness, and impaired performance of skilled sensorimotor jobs.

Treatment:  Remove from heat, encourage water intake and good healthy nutrition and allow person to rest.  Allow person to acclimatize longer to increased heat environment.

Definition Heat Exhaustion: The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion may include all of the above with the addition of heat cramps in legs, abdomen, back, calves and arms, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion and lethargy.

Treatment:  Remove from heat, encourage fluid intake, loosen clothing, poor water over persons body to soak clothing and begin cooling persons body. Monitor person for unresponsiveness, difficulty breathing or cardiac arrest.  If person is not improving with treatment or symptoms worsen, activate EMS or 911.  Heat exhaustion can become heat stroke if body temperature is not reduced.

Definition of Heat Stroke:   All of the above for heat exhaustion but usually progress to the following:

  • high body temperature
  • the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
  • rapid pulse
  • difficulty breathing
  • strange behavior
  • hallucinations
  • confusion
  • agitation
  • disorientation
  • seizure
  • coma

Treatment: Remove person from source of heat, loosen clothing, begin cooling the person’s body safely as soon as possible in order to lower body temperature.  Nothing should be given by mouth once the person cannot drink safely on their own.  Activate EMS/911 and support with CPR and First Aid for life saving measures. http://www.medicinenet.com/heat_stroke/article.htm

So, next time you’re planning a trip out into hot conditions, take a moment to check the heat index and formulate a plan for protecting, preventing and treating yourself and others who might fall to heat related emergencies.  Oh, and if you know someone who may be vulnerable to hot weather, see if you have an extra fan, or maybe even give them some tips on how to cool down right in their own home.  You could just find that you have some rescue hero in you too.