Dehydration & Frostbite 1st Aid Dehydration & Frostbite

Dehydration: When to call 911 If there are signs of severe dehydration, these include: Sunken eyes, no tears, and a dry mouth and tongue Sunken soft spot on a baby’s head Little or no urine for 8 hours Skin that sags when you pinch it Feeling very dizzy when you move from lying down to sitting up Fast breathing and heart beat Not acting alert, or having trouble waking up

Dehydration: when to call a doctor You are sick to your stomach and cannot hold down even small sips of fluid. Symptoms of mild dehydration (dry mouth, dark urine, not much urine) get worse even with home treatment.

Dehydration: basic info Dehydration means that your body has lost too much fluid. When you stop drinking water or lose a lot of fluids through diarrhea, vomiting , sweating, or exercise, your body’s cells take fluid from the blood and other tissues. Severe dehydration can be life threatening. Dehydration is harmful for everyone, but it is most dangerous for babies, small children, and older adults.

Dehydration: Home Treatment for 12 years or older To stop vomiting or diarrhea, do not eat any solid foods for several hours or until you feel better. During the first 24 hours, take frequent, small sips of water or a rehydration drink. Once the vomiting or diarrhea is controlled, drink water, weak broth, or sports drinks a sip at a time until your stomach can handle larger amounts. If vomiting or diarrhea lasts longer than 24 hours, sip a rehydration drink to replace lost fluids and minerals.

Dehydration: Home Treatment Ages 1-11 years Make sure your child is drinking often. Frequent, small amounts work best. Give your child a rehydration drink. Let your child drink as much as he or she wants. Let them drink extra fluids or suck on Popsicles. Cereals mixed with water can also help.

Dehydration: Home Treatment Babies younger than 1 year Give your baby a rehydration drink (Pedialyte or Rehydralyte) Feed your baby more often than usual. If your baby has started eating cereal, you may replace lost fluids with cereal mush with milk.

If you exercise or work in the heat Drink water before, during, and after exercise or work. Use a sports drink if you will be working or exercising for more than an hour and will be sweating a lot. Don’t take salt tablets. Use sports drinks. Avoid caffeine or pop. It makes you urinate more often, which makes you dehydrate faster. Do not drink alcohol. Wear one layer of lightweight, light-colored clothing. Change into dry clothing if your clothes get soaked with sweat. If you start to feel dehydrated, stop what you are doing. Try to find a cool spot to rest in, and drink plenty of fluids.

Frostbite: When to call a Doctor The skin is white or blue, and hard, rubbery, and cold. These are signs of severe frostbite. You need careful rewarming and antibiotics to prevent permanent tissue damage and infection. Blisters form. Do not break them. The risk of infection is very high. You have signs of infection, fever, vomiting, loss of consciousness.

Frostbite: basic info Frostbite is freezing of the skin and, if it is severe, the tissues beneath it. Frostbite is most likely to occur on the feet, hands, ears, nose, and face. How severe the frostbite is depends on how long you were in the cold and how cold it was. Wind and damp air can make things worse.

Mild frostbite (frostnip) The skin may be pale or red and may tingle or burn If you rewarm the area soon, it will probably not blister or get worse.

Frostbite: Signs The skin may feel hard, frozen, and numb. Later you may feel burning, throbbing, or shooting pain. Blisters may form as the skin warms. In severe cases, blisters may appear as small bloody spots under the skin. The tissue beneath the skin may freeze and harden. At its worst, the skin may turn dry, black, and rubbery. You may also have deep, aching joint pain.

Frostbite: Home Treatment Get inside, or at least take shelter from the wind. Check for signs of hypothermia, such as violent shivering, clumsy movement and speech, and confusion. Treat those before treating frostbite. Protect the frozen body part from further cold. To warm small areas, breathe on them or tuck them inside warm clothing next to bare skin.

Frostbite: Home Treatment Do not rub or massage the frozen area. This can further damage the skin and tissue beneath it. Do not walk on frostbitten feet unless you have no choice. Keep the area warm, and prop it up above the level of your heart. Wrap it with blankets or soft clothing to prevent bruising. If possible soak it in warm water (104-108 degrees F) for 15-30 minutes. If blisters form, do not break them. Take Ibuprofen or Tylenol for pain.