Hypothermia Notes Winter Bio

Hypothermia A.) Hypo- under B.) Thermia- temperature C.) Condition of the body when it is unable to maintain adequate warmth. D.) Development 1.) Very quickly (20 minutes) 2.) Gradual (Hours)

Historic Examples 1.) Washington’s army a.) Valley Forge- 3,000 deaths 2.)Armistice Day blizzard- November 11-12, 1940 a.)Day started 60 degrees and ended inches of snow b.) 49 killed in MN, 150 killed in United States

More Historic Examples 3.) Michigan Football Game a.) Band- half time b.) 31 degrees c.) 34 members collapsed 4.) year old boy a.) Submerged in river for 15 minutes b.) 9 hours later- Normal 5.) Titanic 6.) Hitler 7.) Napolean

Sustaining Life Rules of 3 1.) Water- 3 days 2.) Food- 3 weeks 3.) Warmth- 3 hours 4.) Air- 3 minutes

Air A.) After 3 minutes… trouble. B.) CO

Thermoregulation degrees -Body must generate heat -Body must retain heat -Body must discharge heat

Core (Trunk & Head) -Brain, heart, and lungs must stay at 98.6 degrees. Peripheral (Extremities) -Limbs, skin

Causes of Hypothermia A.) Cold Air: most hypothermia occurs at air temperatures between 30 and 50 degrees 1.) Wind breaks down your body’s warm air blanket 2.)Your head can lose 70% of your body heat B.) Cold Water 1.) Water against the body reduces your peripheral body temperature. 2.) Wet clothing loses 90% of its insulation value 3.) Wet clothes wicks heat away from your body 240 times faster then dry C.) Old Age 1.) Metabolism 2.) Insulation 3.) Malnutrition -Weaken victims resistance systems. -People affected are: ~Poor ~Elderly ~Scuba Divers ~Military ~Back Packers

More Causes of Hypothermia D.) Inadequate Nutrition 1.) Metabolism (energy) a.) The breaking down of sugar ~C6 H12 O6= CO2+Energy (when energy is present). ~C6 H12 O6= C3 H6 O3 (when O2 lacking, Lactic Acid) b.) Lactic Acid ~ Causes muscle fatigue ~ “Metabolic- acidosis” ~ Re-warming Lactic Acid rushes into the blood and makes it acidic, and then cardiac arrest takes place. 2.) Body Functions

And More Causes Of Hypothermia E.) Alcohol 1.) Metabolism 2.) Body Functions F.) Injury G.) Disease, infection, and sickness

Stages of Hypothermia Mild degree body temp. - Intensive shivering, ability to perform complex tasks is impaired, fatigue, poor coordination, immobile and fumbling of hands Moderate degree body temp. - Violent shivering, difficulty speaking, sluggish in thinking, amnesia starts to appear, starts to lose contact with environment, stumbling gait, feeling of deep cold and numbness degree body temp. - Shivering decreases, in it’s place is muscle rigidity, erratic movement, thinking is not clear, victim can’t stand, hallucinations, loses contact with the surroundings.

Severe degree body temp. - Rigid muscles, no shivering, very irrational, starts into a stupor, pulse and respiration slow, pupils start to dilate, skin is turning bluish, drowsiness degree body temp. -Does not respond to words that are spoken, pulse is very erratic, reflexes do not function, victim will be only semi- conscious, heart starts atrial fib BELOW Heart and respiratory failure, ventricular fibrillation, probably brain and lung hemorrhage, apparent death. Victims have been saved with core temps as low as 75.0F