Burns and Heat Emergencies Flashcards
What can happen to your brain and vital organs if you do not get rid of excess heat fast enough?
Brain & vital organs will get damaged
What can Heat exhaustion put you at risk for
Heat stroke and if left untreated then death
How do humans get rid of excess heat?
Through the skin. Warm blood goes through dilated blood vessels and it evaporates through sweat
What are the five specific ways the body loses heat?
Radiation:indirect touch
Evaporation: perspiration
Convection: through air
Respiration: breathing
Conduction: through direct touch
How does the body conserve heat?
shivering and vasoconstriction(decreases blood flow)
goosebumps
Gain heat from the sun through radiation
How much of the human body is water? How do we lose water?
50-60% of the adults body weight
Lose 2 quarts through breathing, urinating, sweating, and bowel movements.
How much water is required for an adult versus how much an adult sweats?
2 quarts/ 2 liters a day of water
Can produce 2-3 quarts of sweat per hour or 10-15 quarts a day
How can dehydration occur and what are some signs of dehydration?
When drinking water cannot keep up with sweat losses
Headache and thirst
Best way: Monitor urine output- producing clear urine 5 times a day
Cloudy or dark urine and urinating fewer than 5 times a day- bad signs
How much water is the best amount to drink when working? Why is it not possible to “catch up on water”?
Drink 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes
16 ounces/ 1 pint is the most a person can drink at once; takes time for water to go through thee stomach and into the blood
What are the best fluids to avoid dehydration during warm weathers? What are some common beverages to avoid in general?
Cool fluids; little sodium and less than 8% of sugar
Alcoholic beverages, soda pop, and fruit juices should be avoided
What electrolytes are found in sweat and urine? What foods can you find them in? Explain the relationship between water and sodium?
Potassium and sodium- control the movement of water in and out of the cells
Bananas and nuts have potassium
Sodium is found in every diet- not an issue
More water should be consumed than sodium; more sodium can cause dehydration by drying up cells
When should you drink sports drinks?
In a vigorous physical activity lasting for more than 1 hour
What is water intoxication?
When drinking large amounts of water ( more than 1 quart/1 L of water per hour) and sweating excessively, electrolytes are flushed out.
Symptoms; frequent urination, behavior changes ( irrationality, combativess, seizures, and coma) weight gain, and puffiness to the face (edema)- results from hyponatremia- inadequate sodium in the body
What effects can humidity have on the risks of heat illness?
Sweating cannot occur on humid days. Drips off the skin without cooling the body.
The higher the humidity the lower the temperature for heat risk begins
The body cannot cool off
Who is at risk for heat illnesses?
Obese people, people w/ chronic illnesses, people w/ alcoholism
Older people: impaired cardiac output and decreased ability to sweat
Infants, young children, and pets
Car temperatures can be very hot even with windows open
Outdoor laborers and athletes
Heat waves- increase risk
What medications can alter sweat production?
Antihistamines, antipsychotics, and antidepressants
List some hot weather precautions
Keep cool indoors- air conditioning, cool bath. Showers, use stove & oven less
Wear light, loose-fitting clothing
Put on sunscreen SPF 15 or higher 3o minutes before going out
Go outside only in the evening and morning, rest in shady areas
Drink a lot of water
Athletes should drink 2-4 glasses of water an hour
Do not drink alcohol or sugary drinks
Monitor urine color
Keep a watch on people who are at risk for heat illnesses
Watch weather patterns
Do not leave people or pets unattended in a parked car
Describe heat exhaustion and list some symptoms and who it affects
Heavy sweating & above/ or is normal temperature
Severe dehydration
Affects workers, athletes who do not drink enough fluids
Symptoms; Severe thirst, heavy sweating, fatigue, nausea, vomiting & diarrhea
Treatment of heat exhaustion:
Move to cool shady place
Spray/ douce cool water and fan vigorously
Sports drink, fruit juice, or lightly salted water or if no options- cool water
Call 9-1-1 if no improvements occur after 30 minutes
Heat Stroke- name the two types, who it affects and symptoms
Classic Heatstroke: days to develop; summer heat waves
affects poor people, chronically ill, alcoholism or obesity or older people
No sweating
Exertional heatstroke: affects people who are healthy and active in hot environments
Affects athletes, laborers and military personnel
Symptoms: extremely hot skin, skin that is dry but wet from sweating, altered mental state flushed skin, flulike symptoms, body temperature above 104 degrees F
Treatment of Heat Stroke:
Move to cool place and call 9-1-1
Remove all clothing and submerge person in very cold water
Or in a natural body or water
Other option: place human in tarp or plastic sheet and dump cold water and ice and hold sides up to make valley shape
Other option: Place ice packs everywhere or put chemical ice packs on palms, soles and cheeks
Stop cooling until mental status improves
DO not give ibuprofen or aspirin
What are some key differences between heat stroke and heat exhaustion
Heat Stroke
<104 degrees F
Normal skin temp
Clammy– profuse sweating
Pale, ashen skin
Heat exhaustion
>104 degrees F
Very hot skin
Dry and will be sweating
Flushed skin
Altered mental status
Describe heat cramps:
Painful muscle spasms in ab muscle of the back of leg during or after vigorous exercise
Heavy sweating
Treatment of heat cramps;
Rest in cool pace
Lightly salted cool water or sports drinks
Lightly stretch and massage muscles
Apply ice pack to muscles
Define a burn
An injury in which soft tissue absorbs more energy than it can dissipate from thermal heat, chemicals, or electricity
Which group of individuals are at the highest risk for burns? Why?
Children younger than 5; adults older than 55
They have thinner skin and having limited ability to recognize and escape from fire or burning incident
What are the 3 classifications of burns? Describe them
Thermal
Contact with hot objects, flammable vapor
Steam and hot liquids
Chemical
Chemical agents (acids, alkalis, organic compounds)
Alkali burns deeper
Tissue damage depends on contact duration, skin thickness, and strength of the agent
Electrical
The severity of the injury depends on the type of current (direct or alternating), voltage, area of the body exposed, and duration.
Induce ventricular fibrillation, respiratory arrest or freeze the person with powerful muscle contractions
Low voltage can lead to no burns but cardiac or respiratory arrest
Describe a first degree superficial burn
Affects epidermis
Redness, mild swelling, tenderness and pain
Healing occurs in a week
Describe a Second degree partial-thickness burns
Affects inner layer and outer layer
Blisters, swelling, weeping of fluids, and severe pain
Capillary blood vessels are damaged giving up fluid in tissues
Describe Third degree full-thickness burns
Affects all skin layers
Leathery, waxy, or pearly gray skin that could be charred
Dry appearance
Describe the rule of nines
Head 9%, arm 9%
Torso 18%, back 18%, each leg 18%
Small children and infants: head 18% and leg is 14%
Rule of the hand
Fingers and thumb is 1%of TBSA
Estimate unburned area and subtract from 100%
Why are burns of of the hands, feet face airway or genitalia be considered a critical burn?
A circumferential burn (finger, toe, arm, leg neck or chest)- possible constriction and cut off air flow
Lose function in them
How do you treat 1st degree burn?
Immerse burn area in cool or cold water, place under running cold water, or apply a wet cool or cold compress for 20 minutes for burns <5%
Atleast 10 minutes for large burns
Keep burned arm or leg raised to reduce swelling or pain
Have them drink water
After burn has been cool, apply aloe vera gel or inexpensive skin moisturizer lotion (lotions with glycerin andmineral oil)
How do you treat 2nd degree burns?
Small: follow steps 1-3
Apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment
Cover the burn with loose, dry, nonstick sterile or clean dressing
Have them drink water if they do not professional care
Large:
Follow steps 1-3
Apply cold but monitor for cold stress
Call 9-1-1
How do you treat 3rd degree burns?
Cover the burn with dry, nonstick, sterile or clean dressing
Call 9-1-1
How do you treat a chemical burn?
Call 9-1-1
If at a workplace send someone to check the safety data sheet for first aid or hazardous materials
Avoid chemical contact and wear gloves and googles
If the chemical is dry brush it off the skin with a gloved hand of piece of cloth
Follow the step after wards
Then, after dry brushing or if it is liquid remove clothing and jewlery and flush the burn with large amounts of cool running water for at least 30 minutes until EMS arrives
If it is in the eye tip the head and wash the eye with warm water
What are the three types of electrical injuries
Thermal burn- flame
Clothing or object sin direct contactwith the skin are ignited by an electric current; caused by flames produced by the electric current not the passage
Arc burn- flash
Electricity ums or arcs from one spot ot another
True electrical injury- contact
Electric current passes through the body; entrance wound and an exit wound
Can affect heart rhythm, cardiac arrest, internal brurns, and other injuries
How do you treat electrical burns?
Check breathing or unresponsive person and if necessary do CPR
Call 9-1-1 immediately
If the person fell check for broken bones or spinal injury
Most electrical burns are 3rd degree so cover all burn wounds with dry sterile dressing
What are some common causes of indoor electrical burns?
Faulty electrical equipment, or careless use fo electrical appliances. Turn off electricity and do not touch person until it is off
What are some problems with burns?
airway issues
toxic inhalations
musculoskeletal injuries
loss of body fluids
pain and swelling
anxiety
infection
What can inhalation injuries be caused by?
carbon monoxide
toxic chemicals or smoke
heat inhalation
Symptoms of inhalation injuries
stridor
burns of face
singed nasal hair
carbon in saliva/ mouth
dyspnea
cyanosis
restlessness
coughing
Carbon monoxide symptoms
cyanosis, altered mental state, headahce, weakness, and cyanosis
