For people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, the biggest difference between those who survive and those who don’t is that a bystander performed CPR on the survivors.

The difference is that stark. CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival. And for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, surviving often means getting CPR from a passing layperson who may not be a medical professional.

That’s why it’s so essential for everyone to get trained in CPR and be willing to deliver it if need be. But the tragic thing is that cardiac arrest victims don’t get CPR from bystanders as often as they could. Bystanders are often reluctant to perform CPR—even if they’ve gone through training, and even though they could save a life.

Here are some common misconceptions and fears that keep people from providing lifesaving care when the chips are down.

Fear of hurting the victim.

Many people hesitate to perform CPR because they worry that they may do more harm than good. They may even break a rib.

The thing is, if you’re doing CPR right, it’s likely to break ribs. Compressions should be at a depth of about two inches on a full-grown adult in order to get the blood moving in the body. That takes about 60 pounds of force.

According to a 2015 study, as many as 86% of men and 91% of women experienced a bone injury in the chest after receiving CPR—including sternum fractures, rib fractures, and sternocostal separations.

However, these injuries are survivable. Cardiac arrest isn’t, unless the victim gets immediate lifesaving care. Most people would agree that a few broken ribs are preferable to death.

Fear of being sued.

That’s all well and good—but what if, after saving someone’s life by delivering CPR, that person turns around and sues you for your actions?

It’s possible, but unlikely. Good Samaritan laws vary by state, but all have protections for bystanders delivering CPR. It’s in the interests of the country to encourage people to provide CPR, and the law reflects that.

As long as you’re responding the way a reasonable person would, providing care according to your level of training, and are not being compensated for your actions, these laws should protect you from a lawsuit.

Fear of catching a disease.

It’s not unusual to have an instinctive ick-factor reaction when it comes to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. For many, the possibility of catching a contagious disease stops them from helping a cardiac arrest victim—even when they know CPR.

You can contract bacteria and viruses through mouth-to-mouth contact with an infected person. Chances are low that this will happen during rescue breathing, but it’s possible.

However, you don’t need to give rescue breaths in order to deliver effective CPR. Recently, the AHA released new guidelines for hands-only CPR that require lay rescuers only to “push hard and fast in the center of the chest,” to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. You can skip the mouth-to-mouth part altogether.

Hands-only CPR has been shown to be just as effective as traditional CPR in bystander rescue situations. In some studies, it’s even more effective—possibly because people are more willing to give this type of CPR in the first place.

Fear of doing it wrong.

Studies have shown that about 70% of Americans don’t have the confidence to perform CPR in an emergency situation—and would be reluctant to provide it for this reason.

Again, that’s where hands-only CPR comes in. It’s far less complicated than the traditional version—there’s no need to try to remember the ratio of compressions to rescue breaths, or slow down your compressions to provide breaths.

Hands-only CPR is very easy to learn and administer—even for people with no medical training. There’s really only one step—push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Today, anyone can learn and administer CPR—and the learning process only takes minutes.

Fear of inappropriate touching.

According to a study conducted by researchers at UPenn, women are less likely to receive CPR than men—because some rescuers are afraid to touch a female victim’s chest.

This has real-world consequences. The study found that men were 23% more likely to survive cardiac arrest than women, because rescuers were more reluctant to deliver CPR to women. In examining over 20,000 cases nationwide, the study found that only 39% of women in cardiac arrest outside of a hospital got bystander CPR—as opposed to 45% of men.

Over 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest in America each year outside of a hospital setting. Approximately 90% of them do not survive. Those numbers could be improved with CPR training—and the knowledge to overcome these misconceptions.

Learn more with us online or in person.

 You can register for this class by following link: https://resqtraining.enrollware.com/enroll?id=7219888 .

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Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While it primarily affects the lungs, it can also impact other organs such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes ill, but it’s essential to understand the symptoms, causes, and risk factors associated with this condition.

Here are some key points about TB:

 

1.Symptom

• Primary TB Infection: During the initial stage, most people don’t exhibit symptoms. However, some may experience flu-like symptoms, including low fever, tiredness, and cough.
• Latent TB Infection: Following the primary infection, the immune system walls off the TB germs in lung tissue. There are no symptoms during this stage.
• Active TB Disease: When the immune system fails to control the infection, active TB disease occurs. Symptoms include cough, coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue. Active TB can also affect other parts of the body (extrapulmonary TB).

2.Causes and Transmission

• TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or sings, releasing tiny droplets containing TB germs. People with weakened immune systems (such as those with HIV/AIDS) are at higher risk.
• The bacteria thrive in areas rich in blood and oxygen, such as the lungs.

3.Diagnosis

• Skin tests (tuberculin skin test) and blood tests (interferon gamma release assay) help confirm TB presence.
• CT scans and sputum culture tests aid in diagnosis.

4.Treatment

• Antibiotics are used to treat TB. A combination of therapies is often required for several months.
• Multi-drug resistant TB is more challenging to treat.

5.Prevention

• The BCG vaccine helps prevent TB, especially in children.
• Hygiene practices, avoiding large gatherings, and proper ventilation contribute to prevention.

Remember that early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for controlling the spread of TB.

If you suspect TB symptoms, seek medical attention promptly!

Check out this TB story at the link below to see how TB can go undiagnosed and what the treatment/recovery times is like.

Bing Videos

Here at RESQ Health & Safety Training we would love to help you learn more have you signed up yet?! You can register for this class by following link: https://resqtraining.enrollware.com/enroll?id=7219888 .

You can see our full schedule by checking out our website @ http://localhost/wordpress/acls-bls-class

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RESQ Health & Safety | BLS, ACLS, PALS | CPR Classes you learn more.

Here is some insight on who should have #ACLS and #BLS training as well as #CPR training.

 

– What is the difference between BLS and CPR certification?

 

The difference between BLS certification and CPR certification is subtle and it can be tricky to understand who needs a BLS certification and who does not. To put it simply, medical professionals always need to be #BLS certified, whereas individuals in professions outside of the medical field may only require training in #CPR.

All doctors should be certified in #BLS in order that they can respond to life-threatening emergencies, regardless of whether they practice medicine at a hospital or a family clinic. However, most doctors who work in hospitals will have a higher level of certification than BLS called Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). This ensures that they have undergone specialist training in order to provide critical and emergency care.

 

– Are nurses and medical assistants BLS certified?

 

Like doctors, nurses who deliver lifesaving critical care in hospitals are likely to be #ACLS certified. #BLS is the minimum certification required for nurses but usually they will need to be top-level #ACLS certified too. Nurses are often the first to respond to emergencies in hospitals, which is why they must have advanced certification in life support.

Medical assistants are different to nurses in that they are not usually the first to respond to emergency cases. However, they may still play a vital role in emergency life support when it is required of them. As a result, they should be #BLS certified in order that they can provide basic lifesaving treatments when necessary.

 

– Do EMTs and paramedics need BLS certification?

 

Since paramedics and EMTs tend to be the first on the scene when it comes to medical emergencies outside of hospitals, it is vital that they have BLS training. Usually the #BLS certificate is part of the initial training for emergency caregivers, but it is not unusual for paramedics to undergo advanced life support training to help them provide more complex emergency care.

 

– Should dentists be BLS certified?

 

The need for dentists to have a BLS certification varies from state to state. Dentistry licenses must be periodically renewed, and in order to do so dentists must complete a specific amount of education hours. In some states the Dental Board will count BLS certification as part of these education hours. It can be incredibly useful for dentists to be trained in basic life support should a medical emergency occur while a patient is in their care.

 

– Do non-medical emergency service professionals need BLS certification?

 

It is not uncommon for firefighters to be the first on the scene during emergencies where people need medical care, so they need to be able to deliver life support when necessary. Both voluntary and professional firefighters need BLS. In some cases firefighters will also need to be certified paramedics, in which case BLS or even more advanced life support certifications may be essential.

Police officers also deal with many emergency situations in which medical care may be required. They should be capable of delivering basic life support until professional medical help can arrive on the scene. The requirements differ from state to state but police officers usually require either CPR, First Aid or BLS certification. Since BLS is more advanced than CPR, it tends to be accepted by all police departments.

 

– Do teachers, coaches or childcare providers need BLS certification?

 

There are many other professions in which it is either necessary or preferred to be trained in CPR. Such professions include teachers, childcare providers, sports coaches, personal trainers, and safety officers. BLS certification is not usually necessary in these non-medical fields, however it might be a valuable qualification to have. It could prepare these professionals for dealing with common injuries or conditions other than cardiac arrest, boost their confidence in performing CPR and other treatments, and make their CVs more appealing to prospective employers.

Below click the link to check out this amazing story where a high school student saved someone’s life using her #CPR training.

https://www.cnn.com/…/iyw-teen-saves-life…/index.html

RESQ Health & Safety Training will be hosting #ACLS + #BLS combo courses, have you signed up yet?! You can register for this class by following link: https://resqtraining.enrollware.com/enroll?id=7219888 .

You can see our full schedule by checking out our website @ http://localhost/wordpress/acls-bls-class 

#medicaleducation #AHA #savelives #BLS #heimlichmaneuver

RESQ Health & Safety | BLS, ACLS, PALS | CPR Classes

What Is Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is a possibly dangerous drop in body temperature, usually caused by long exposure to cold temperatures. This is more likely to happen when the winter months arrive. But if you’re exposed to cold temperatures on a spring hike or capsized on a summer sail, you can also be at risk of hypothermia.

Normal body temperature averages 98.6 F. With hypothermia, body temperature drops below 95 F. In severe hypothermia, core body temperature can drop to 82 F or lower.

How common is hypothermia?

It is quite common among high-risk groups like the elderly, children, unhoused people, and people taking part in cold-weather sports. And a lot of cases don’t get reported. Between 700 and 1,500 people die because of exposure to the cold every year in the U.S.

Hypothermia vs. hyperthermia

Hyperthermia is the opposite of hypothermia. In this case, your body is overheated. This usually happens when you’ve been working out or exerting too much energy in a hot, humid place. Forms of hyperthermia include (ranging from mildest to most serious):

• Muscle cramps
• Heat exhaustion
• Heat rash (a skin rash of small red pimples)
• Heat stress
• Heatstroke (your body temperature is over 104 F and could cause death)

If your body temperature is over 99 or 100 F, you’re at risk for hyperthermia.

How Does Cold Exposure Cause Hypothermia?

During exposure to cold temperatures, most heat loss — up to 90% — escapes through your skin; the rest you exhale from your lungs. Heat loss speeds up when skin is exposed to wind or moisture. If you’re in cold water, you lose heat 25 times faster than you do if you’re exposed to the same air temperature.

Your hypothalamus is the part of your brain that works to control your temperature by triggering processes that heat and cool your body. When you’re cold, shivering is a way to produce heat through muscle activity. In another heat-preserving response — called vasoconstriction — blood vessels temporarily narrow.

Normally, the activity of the heart and liver make most of your body heat. But as core body temperature cools, these organs produce less heat, in essence causing a protective “shut down” to preserve heat and protect the brain. Low body temperature can slow brain activity, breathing, and heart rate.

Confusion and fatigue can set in, and you may not understand what’s happening or be able to get yourself to safety.

Hypothermia Symptoms

First signs of hypothermia

Warning signs of hypothermia in adults include:

• Shivering, which may stop as hypothermia progresses. (Shivering is actually a good sign that your heat regulation systems are still active.)
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Confusion and memory loss
• Drowsiness or exhaustion
• Slurred or mumbled speech
• Loss of coordination, fumbling hands, stumbling steps
• A slow, weak pulse

Hypothermia symptoms for infants include:

• Cold-to-touch, bright red skin
• Unusually low energy

Mild hypothermia

Your body temperature is 90-95 F. Other symptoms include:

• Shivering and chattering teeth
• Feeling exhausted
• Slow movements and reactions
• Feeling sleepy
• Weak pulse
• Faster-than-normal heart rate
• Fast breathing
• Pale skin color
• Confusion
• Excessive peeing

Moderate hypothermia

Your body temperature is 82-90 F. Other symptoms include:

• Slowdown in breathing and heart rate
• Speech is garbled
• Trouble thinking straight
• Hallucinations
• Less shivering
• Bluish color on skin
• Muscle stiffness
• Pupils get larger
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Low blood pressure
• Loss of consciousness

Severe hypothermia

Your body temperature is lower than 82 F. Other symptoms include:

• No more shivering (a bad sign that your heat regulation systems aren’t working)
• Low blood pressure
• No reflexes
• Fluid in lungs
• Unable to move voluntarily
• Low amount of pee
• Heart stops beating
• Possible coma or death

Because people respond differently to hypothermia, temperatures for these stages may differ.

Hypothermia Causes

Possible low body temperature causes include:

Cold exposure. When the balance between the body’s heat production and heat loss tips toward heat loss for a long time, hypothermia can happen. It’s usually because you’ve been in the cold without enough warm, dry clothing for protection.

But much milder environments can also lead to hypothermia, depending on your age, body mass, body fat, overall health, and length of time in the cold. A frail, older adult in a 60-degree house after a power outage can develop mild hypothermia overnight. Babies and children sleeping in cold bedrooms are also at risk.

Other causes. Certain medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid conditions, some medications, emotional upset, or using drugs or alcohol all increase the risk of hypothermia.

How does your body lose heat?

Your body loses heat in one of four ways:

1. Radiation. This is the most common method of heat loss. Heat leaves your body by infrared electromagnetic waves and goes into the air. This happens naturally when bare skin is exposed to air.
2. Conduction. Heat is transferred directly from one object to another. For instance, if you splash cold water on your face, you feel cooler because heat from your body is transferred to the water.
3. Convection. You lose heat because of moving air. Although the thin air layer near your skin is warm, the heat is carried away by the wind. You may experience this as the “wind chill factor.”
4. Evaporation. When you sweat, water vaporizes from your skin and transfers heat to the air around you.

How Is Hypothermia Diagnosed?

Doctors look for physical signs (shivering, confusion, weak pulse, etc.) and take into account where the person was found (for instance, in the snow) or how they got ill.

A special thermometer, available in most hospital emergency rooms, can detect very low core body temperatures and confirm a diagnosis.

Sometimes it may be hard to diagnose hypothermia because the symptoms can can look like other conditions. For instance, an elderly person might be confused and have speech problems even if they weren’t in the cold.

Hypothermia First Aid

If medical care isn’t immediately available:

• Remove any wet clothes, hats, gloves, shoes, and socks.
• Protect the person against wind, drafts, and further heat loss with warm, dry clothes and blankets.
• Move gently to a warm, dry shelter as soon as possible.
• Begin rewarming the person with extra clothing and warm blankets. Use your own body heat if nothing else is available.
• Take the person’s temperature if a thermometer is available.
• Offer warm liquids (like soup or hot chocolate) but avoid alcohol and caffeine, which make blood cool faster. Don’t try to give fluids to an unconscious person.

If the hypothermic person is unconscious, or has no pulse or signs of breathing, call 911 for emergency help right away. If you’re trained in it, begin #CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if a pulse can’t be felt and there’s no sign of breathing.

Medical Treatment

In cases of advanced hypothermia, you may need hospital treatment to rewarm your core temperature. Hypothermia treatment includes:

• Passive warming. Covering the person with blankets and giving them warm drinks.
• Blood rewarming. Warming their blood with a hemodialysis machine (normally used to filter blood for kidney patients) and recirculating it in the body.
• Warm intravenous fluids. Putting a solution of warmed IV fluids into a vein.
• Airway rewarming. Applying humidified oxygen through a mask or nasal tube.
• Irrigation. Adding a warm saltwater solution to the area around the lungs or abdominal cavity through catheters.

Complications during recovery can include pneumonia, irregular heartbeat, ventricular fibrillation (a dangerous “fluttering” rhythm of the heart), cardiac arrest (a sudden stopping of the heartbeat), and death.

Can Hypothermia Be Prevented?

In many cases, you can avoid hypothermia by doing the following:

• Before you go outside, check the weather forecast so you know how to dress.
• Wear multiple layers of clothing, a hat, mittens, and a scarf to lessen heat loss.
• Don’t drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
• Avoid activities where you’ll sweat a lot. The combination of wet clothes and cold weather will cause greater heat loss.

Children and the elderly

• Dress children in one layer warmer than you would dress an adult.
• If your kids are playing outside, bring them in often to warm up. Keep them inside if they start shivering.
• Dress your babies in warm clothes and be sure they’re not sleeping in a cold room.
• Check on elderly relatives and neighbors living alone and make sure they have enough food, clothes, and heat.

“Bitter, bitter cold” is the way one patient described the Upper Midwest weather conditions that left him hospitalized with frostbite. Living here, we get pretty used to the bitter temperatures that head our way each winter. Unfortunately, this familiarity can also lead us to underestimate the health risks of these freezing conditions. Such is the case for people living in winter climates everywhere, as well as visitors who are unaccustomed to the dangers of the cold.

When we don’t properly prepare for the mighty winter elements, serious injuries like frostbite can and do happen – fast. But how fast? Read on to learn more about frostbite and how to stay prepared and protected.

What is frostbite?

Frostbite is considered a type of burn that happens when the skin and tissues below it begin to freeze. It usually occurs when skin is exposed to below-freezing temperatures for a certain amount of time, which varies based on the temperature and how fast the wind is blowing (windchill).

How long does it take to get frostbite?

The colder the temperature, the faster you can get frostbite. And when you add wind and water to the mix, the process speeds up even more. Every person and every situation are different, but here are a few guidelines for understanding the risk for frostbite:

• When the temperature is zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, it takes about 30 minutes for exposed skin to get frostbite.
• At 15 degrees below zero with even a little bit of wind, frostbite is possible within 15 minutes.

Windchill temperature and frostbite chart

The chart below from the National Weather Service shows how long it might take to develop frostbite at varying temperatures and wind speeds.

What does frostbite look like?

In more mild cases of frostbite, the skin appears pale blue or grayish. In severe cases, red and swollen blisters can develop after rewarming the affected areas. Afterward, skin can turn dark purple or black if tissues are badly damaged.

Early symptoms of frostbite

Your fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin are the most common places for frostbite. Knowing the early symptoms can help you treat frostbite fast and have the best recovery outcome. Here’s what the first signs of it look and feel like:

• Your skin starts to become cold
• You may experience a pins-and-needles sensation
• You have a loss of feeling (numbness)
• Your skin turns white or a pale, bluish gray
• Your skin feels stiff or rubbery to the touch

Stages of frostbite

There are three stages of frostbite: mild, superficial and severe. These are determined by how deeply your skin and tissues have frozen.

Mild frostbite (frostnip)

Mild frostbite is when your skin has been irritated by the cold, causing pain or numbness. You may feel a tingling, prickly sensation when the skin warms again. Mild frostbite is temporary and can be treated at home (we cover treatment remedies below).

Superficial frostbite

When skin layers have frozen farther down, it’s considered superficial frostbite. In addition to the pain and numbness of mild frostbite, at this stage your skin also becomes slightly discolored, turning light blue or grayish. When the skin is gently rewarmed, you may experience a prickly, burning sensation, swelling, and the area might feel warm (a sign it’s been affected more seriously). 12-36 hours later you may notice fluid-filled blisters. You can treat superficial frostbite with home remedies right when it happens, but you should seek medical care soon after rewarming the skin.

Deep frostbite (severe)

Deep frostbite (the most severe kind) means that all the layers of your skin and the tissues beneath it have frozen significantly. When this happens, your skin turns white or a bluish gray, and is numb to feelings of cold or pain. It may be stiff and rubbery when touched, and your joints and muscles may have difficulty working. After rewarming the skin, fluid-filled blisters may appear within 24-48 hours, and the damaged skin will turn black.

Severe frostbite has longer-term affects and requires immediate medical attention – sometimes involving hospitalization. In the most critical cases, tissues are seriously damaged and amputation may be needed if blood flow to the skin is permanently blocked. In other instances of severe frostbite, patients may avoid amputation, but experience lifelong numbness in the affected areas.

What to do if you have frostbite

If you think you’re experiencing frostbite, take these steps for First Aid right away:

Protect your skin from the elements

If you can’t get to a warm place inside just yet, try to cover the affected areas to protect them from the cold and wind. You can put your hands into your pockets, sleeves or armpits to try to warm them with your body heat.

Get out of the cold

Get out of the cold and into a warmer temperature as soon as possible. Take off any wet clothing and cover up with warm, dry clothes and a blanket.

Check for signs of hypothermia

Hypothermia is a potentially life-threatening condition that happens when your body is losing heat faster than it can produce heat. If your body temperature gets too low, your critical organs (like your heart, lungs and nervous system) can’t function. To check yourself or someone else for hypothermia, look for signs like shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion and slurred speech – and seek emergency help quickly.

Gradually warm the frostbitten areas

Warm frostbitten fingers and toes by soaking them in slightly warm (not hot) water for 15-30 minutes. It’s very important to rewarm the affected area gently and gradually, because using hot water to warm it too quickly can cause more damage. Test the temperature of the water with an area that isn’t frostbitten, like your elbow. For other areas like your face, ears or extremities, apply a warm, wet washcloth.

Note: Don’t rewarm frostbitten skin with direct heat like a fireplace or heating pad, due to the risk of burns. Remember, frostbite itself is a type of burn and needs to be cared for with gentle, moist warmth.

Heat yourself up from the inside

Drinking warm liquids like tea or soup can help your body warm up internally, too.

Over-the-counter pain medicine

Taking an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen can help ease discomfort.

When to see a doctor for frostbite

As your skin rewarms and blood flow returns, you may feel a tingling or burning sensation. If you begin to notice skin discoloration, continued numbness or other symptoms that are out of the ordinary, make an appointment with a doctor right away or visit your local urgent car. Note: If your fingers or toes frequently turn white and feel tingly in regular cold conditions (even after warming up) you may want to ask your doctor if Raynaud’s could be a possible cause.

Preventing frostbite: Preparation is key

Every winter, we see countless victims that have come in with frostbite injuries. Many times, the frostbite happened when these patients were out doing ordinary tasks that just didn’t go as planned. Getting stranded in the cold in a stalled or disabled vehicle tends to be a common situation. There are also people who get locked out of their house, or who slip outside and can’t get up after the fall.

Limiting trips outdoors when the temperature is below zero is the best way to prevent frostbite. But if you do need to leave, remember to be prepared by expecting the unexpected. Here are our top four tips:

1. Dress (or pack) for success. Whether you’re planning to spend the whole day outdoors or just heading to the grocery store, make sure you’re wearing (or bringing along) the right clothes. The best choices are clothes made of wool, down or Thinsulate – all of which prevent the loss of body heat. And don’t forget a warm hat, mittens and a pair of boots.
2. Keep a cold weather emergency kit in your car. It’s wise to keep a box or bag in your car that contains things you might need in an emergency. In the winter months, that means extra layers of clothes, including hats, scarves, mittens and socks; a blanket; chemical hand and foot warmers; an LED flashlight; jumper cables; a snow scraper and snow shovel.
3. Keep your cell phone with you. Most of us do this anyway, but it’s still a good reminder in case of an emergency situation. Don’t assume you’ll be able to reach someone nearby – carry your phone with you and make sure its battery is fully charged. It’s also a good idea to keep a charger with you or in your car.
4. Stay calm if you find yourself exposed to extreme cold. While these situations can be very stressful, it’s important to remain calm. For one thing, you’ll have a better chance at thinking clearly if you’re calm. Secondly, fear can cause sweating, which cools the body and can make you feel chilled. Take several deep breaths and try to stay positive. Then, while you’re figuring out a plan, get your body moving to increase blood flow and make more body heat. (Just be careful not to be so active that you sweat.)

There’s so much to enjoy about the wintertime, but it’s important to stay on our guard and be prepared for temperatures to drop. When you know you’re ready to protect yourself and your family from the cold, that peace of mind allows you to embrace all the season has to offer.

What is hypothermia?

• Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposures to very cold temperatures. When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it’s produced. Lengthy exposures will eventually use up your body’s stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature.
• Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia especially dangerous, because a person may not know that it’s happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.
• While hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.

Who’s most at risk?

Victims of hypothermia are often:

• Older adults with inadequate food, clothing, or heating
• Babies sleeping in cold bedrooms
• People who remain outdoors for long periods—the homeless, hikers, hunters, etc.
• People who drink alcohol or use illicit drugs.

What are the signs and symptoms of hypothermia?

The following are warnings signs of hypothermia: Adults:

• Shivering
• Exhaustion or feeling very tired
• Confusion
• Fumbling hands
• Memory loss
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness

Babies:

• bright red, cold skin
• very low energy

Don’t wait – take action Hypothermia is a medical emergency. If you notice any of the above signs, take the person’s temperature. If it is below 95° F, get medical attention immediately! If you are not able to get medical help right away, try to warm the person up.

• Get the person into a warm room or shelter.
• Remove any wet clothing the person is wearing.
• Warm the center of the person’s body—chest, neck, head, and groin—using an electric blanket, if available. You can also use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets.
• Warm drinks can help increase body temperature, but do not give alcoholic drinks. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person.
• After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrap their body, including their head and neck, in a warm blanket.
• Get the person proper medical attention as soon as possible.

A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or to be breathing. In this case, handle the person gently, and get emergency assistance immediately.

• Perform CPR, even if the person appears dead. CPR should continue until the person responds or medical aid becomes available. Keep warming the person while performing CPR. In some cases, hypothermia victims who appear to be dead can be successfully resuscitated.

For people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, the biggest difference between those who survive and those who don’t is that a bystander performed CPR on the survivors.

The difference is that stark. CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival. And for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, surviving often means getting CPR from a passing layperson who may not be a medical professional.

That’s why it’s so essential for everyone to get trained in CPR, and be willing to deliver it if need be. But the tragic thing is that cardiac arrest victims don’t get CPR from bystanders as often as they could. Bystanders are often reluctant to perform CPR—even if they’ve gone through training, and even though they could save a life.

Here are some common misconceptions and fears that keep people from providing lifesaving care when the chips are down.

Fear of hurting the victim.

Many people hesitate to perform CPR because they worry that they may do more harm than good. They may even break a rib.

The thing is, if you’re doing CPR right, it’s likely to break ribs. Compressions should be at a depth of about two inches on a full-grown adult in order to get the blood moving in the body. That takes about 60 pounds of force.

According to a 2015 study, as many as 86% of men and 91% of women experienced a bone injury in the chest after receiving CPR—including sternum fractures, rib fractures, and sternocostal separations.

However, these injuries are survivable. Cardiac arrest isn’t, unless the victim gets immediate lifesaving care. Most people would agree that a few broken ribs are preferable to death.

Fear of being sued.

That’s all well and good—but what if, after saving someone’s life by delivering CPR, that person turns around and sues you for your actions?

It’s possible, but unlikely. Good Samaritan laws vary by state, but all have protections for bystanders delivering CPR. It’s in the interests of the country to encourage people to provide CPR, and the law reflects that.

As long as you’re responding the way a reasonable person would, providing care according to your level of training, and are not being compensated for your actions, these laws should protect you from a lawsuit.

Fear of catching a disease.

It’s not unusual to have an instinctive ick-factor reaction when it comes to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. For many, the possibility of catching a contagious disease stops them from helping a cardiac arrest victim—even when they know CPR.

You can contract bacteria and viruses through mouth-to-mouth contact with an infected person. Chances are low that this will happen during rescue breathing, but it’s possible.

However, you don’t need to give rescue breaths in order to deliver effective CPR. Recently, the AHA released new guidelines for hands-only CPR that require lay rescuers only to “push hard and fast in the center of the chest,” to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. You can skip the mouth-to-mouth part altogether.

Hands-only CPR has been shown to be just as effective as traditional CPR in bystander rescue situations. In some studies, it’s even more effective—possibly because people are more willing to give this type of CPR in the first place.

Fear of doing it wrong.

Studies have shown that about 70% of Americans don’t have the confidence to perform CPR in an emergency situation—and would be reluctant to provide it for this reason.

Again, that’s where hands-only CPR comes in. It’s far less complicated than the traditional version—there’s no need to try to remember the ratio of compressions to rescue breaths, or slow down your compressions to provide breaths.

Hands-only CPR is very easy to learn and administer—even for people with no medical training. There’s really only one step—push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Today, anyone can learn and administer CPR—and the learning process only takes minutes.

Fear of inappropriate touching.

According to a study conducted by researchers at UPenn, women are less likely to receive CPR than men—because some rescuers are afraid to touch a female victim’s chest.

This has real-world consequences. The study found that men were 23% more likely to survive cardiac arrest than women, because rescuers were more reluctant to deliver CPR to women. In examining over 20,000 cases nationwide, the study found that only 39% of women in cardiac arrest outside of a hospital got bystander CPR—as opposed to 45% of men.

Over 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest in America each year outside of a hospital setting. Approximately 90% of them do not survive. Those numbers could be improved with CPR training—and the knowledge to overcome these misconceptions.