Incidents in Cold and Wet Environments

Abstract

Some major incidents involve a risk of lowering body temperature even without injuries, for example, ship accidents, snowstorms, and avalanches. In these cases, the exposure to cold environments in itself a reason for low body temperature. In such situations, rescue and medical staff are usually well aware of this and prepared and equipped to prevent it.

However, what all medical staff are not equally well aware of is that the risk for the lowering of body temperature is significant even during major incidents in what we consider normal or moderately lowered outdoor temperatures. Therefore, knowledge about the effects of cooling on the body and the principles for prevention and treatment is important for all medical staff who could be involved in patient management during major incidents.

In ship accidents, the risk of drowning is combined with the risk of cooling, especially in areas where the water temperature during the majority of the year is cold enough that there is a risk for rapidly falling body temperature once in the water. The low temperature means a risk for lowered consciousness, with and increased risk of drowning; however, at the same time, the cooling increases the possibility of survival, which is important knowledge to have during the management of casualties that are or have been lying in the water. Because of these interfering effects, cooling and drowning are dealt with together in this chapter.