Hypothermia, which comes to the fore again with the effect of cold weather, but is not normally taken seriously, is a condition that can actually be fatal as a result of the body's temperature falling much below 37 degrees Celsius. Normal body temperature is a value provided by the muscles in humans and controlled by the hypothalamus, which is located in the front part of the brain and also has very important functions. It is very dangerous for the person to have a body temperature above or below normal, and these two conditions can cause fatal pictures, so it is very important to intervene immediately in both cases.
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is a very dangerous condition that causes a serious decrease in body temperature as a result of heat loss much faster than the body's fastest capacity can produce and can cause death if not treated urgently. It is known that a person's normal body temperature is 37 degrees, and a decrease in this body temperature below 35 degrees is called hypothermia.
Although it is thought that hypothermia is caused only by cold environments, many factors can actually cause hypothermia, but it is usually a problem that occurs as a result of long exposure to cold environments. some problems are encountered and these problems are the main reason why the situation is fatal. In this case, if urgent intervention is not made, the problems occurring in these systems may lead to the bankruptcy of the heart, respiratory system or different organs and systems, in which case death occurs. The first thing to do during the emergency response is to try to bring the body back to its normal temperature. .
Therapeutic hypothermia, on the other hand, is a form of treatment applied to the person who comes back to life with heart massage after the heart has stopped, in order to prevent brain damage. This is your treatment In the first 4-6 hours, the body temperature of the patient is reduced to 32-34 degrees and kept constant at this temperature for an average of 18 hours.
What Are the Types of Hypothermia?
Switzerland It is called the grading system and a classification is made according to the effect of the internal organs on the temperature and their reactions to these temperatures.
- Mild Hypothermia: Mild hypothermia symptoms are cases where the body temperature falls between 32.2 and 35 degrees. In this type of hypothermia, it is seen that the body reacts to protect itself against cold and tries to produce heat. During the body's heat production efforts, blood pressure may rise and as a result hypertension occurs, the number of heartbeats increases, this is called tachycardia, there is acceleration in breathing (tachypnea) and vasoconstriction, that is, the contraction of the vessels is observed.
- Moderate Hypothermia: This is hypothermia. In this type, the body temperature is now between 28 degrees and 32.2 degrees. In mild hypothermia, the body mechanisms that try to produce heat against the cold begin to become insufficient and these reactions gradually come to a halt. As the body's resistance mechanisms become insufficient, heat loss in the body increases and the symptoms related to hypothermia are exacerbated. Deaths may occur by causing major problems such as bankruptcy in systems or organs in the body that has fallen to these levels. Severe hypothermia can also cause serious problems in people who continue their lives.
What are the Causes of Hypothermia?
- Cold weather or Being exposed to a cold environment in a position that cannot be tolerated for a long time,
- The living environment is quite cold,
- Having an accident in snowy and very cold weather
- the presence of burns with large widths,
- Spending time in water for a long time regardless of hot or cold weather, or falling into cold water,
- Clothing that has not been chosen in accordance with the cold weather,
- The body is in contact with cold surfaces for a long time,
- Wet clothes stay on the body for a long time and the drying of those clothes on the body,
- Not being fed properly and adequately in proportion to one's needs,
- State of fatigue,
- The wind blowing coldly and hard Being in a place for a long time or wind blowing on you while wet,
- Consuming alcohol,
- Using drugs such as plants or drugs can be counted as.
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What are the Risk Groups for Hypothermia?
- The risk of hypothermia is higher in the elderly or infants, since the function of balancing and regulating body temperature is low,
- If there is a decrease in body temperature, the ability to raise the temperature against a decrease in body temperature decreases, so hypothermia is at a greater risk for tired people. are more likely to be caught. At the same time, these people may not realize their feelings sometimes, that is, they may stay there for a long time without realizing that they are cold even when they are cold, so it is useful to pay attention to people with mental health problems in this way.
- Alcohol use is also a short term. Although it makes you feel warm for a while, contrary to what is believed, it causes the vessels to expand after mixing with the blood, causing the heat to be lost from the soles of the feet quickly, so in case of any hypothermia, it is very dangerous to drink alcohol to warm the person up. Not remembering everything clearly causes insensitivity to cold and thus hypothermia. In addition, drugs have a vasodilating effect, just like alcohol, so they increase heat loss on the soles of the feet.
- People with paralysis may also become insensitive to cold in cases such as loss of sensation due to nutrition, loss of sensation due to any injury to the spinal cord, loss of sensation due to burns, and may not realize that their body temperature is gradually decreasing. It is also important for people who are in this situation to be very careful.
- The drugs in the antidepressant class or antipsychotic drugs are also It may affect the ability to adjust the k balance.
- Some chronic diseases in people may also cause problems in the perception of cold air.
What are the Symptoms of Hypothermia?
- ·Extreme tremor,
- Gradually slowing down breathing rate,
- Slowing of speech as a result of deterioration in speech functions can be counted among the symptoms of mild hypothermia.
- Hypothermia shock,
- Experiencing temporary memory loss and resulting confusion,
- Weak pulse,
- Advanced level loss of consciousness are the symptoms seen in the case of severe hypothermia.
- Observation of extreme fatigue,
- Pale skin color and cooling of the skin over time,
- Hoarseness,
- Dizziness,
- Symptoms such as being unable to react to light can be given as examples of moderate hypothermia.
How Should Emergency Intervention Be Taken in Hypothermia?
- When a person who is found to have hypothermia is seen, it is useful to call 112 first, as in other emergencies. If the person needs urgent medical attention, the healthiest intervention will be done.
- Since the respiratory system and heart can also be affected in advanced hypothermia, the person's breathing and heart rate should be checked, and if necessary, heart massage should be given to the person if known.
- The patient should be moved to a warmer and drier environment in order to ensure that the patient's body temperature returns to normal.
- If the patient has wet clothing, these wet clothing should be replaced with dry ones, and the patient's body surface should also be dried.
- If the patient is conscious, hot tea can be given to the person to prevent heat loss, and chocolate-like foods can be given to give energy to the patient.
- Emergency interventions that cause the patient to be exposed to heat suddenly, such as putting the patient with hypothermia directly into a hot bath, are quite wrong. .
How to Treat Hypothermia in the Hospital?
- Glucose for the purpose of providing the patient's energy lost due to cold and replenishing the glucose stores discharged from cold apply
- The cause of hypothermia is very important in the choice of treatment, for example, thiamine can be started in a patient who has hypothermia due to heavy alcohol use. causes and this lost fluid should be supplemented.
- Steroid can be applied to people whose body temperature does not return to normal after some treatment methods and emergency intervention methods. It should be taken into consideration whether there is any illness or not.
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