Environmental Emergencies Flashcards
Learn the different interventions and causes of Environmental Emergencies
What is the hypothalamus responsible for?
It controls and monitors the body’s temperature.
Define:
thermoregulation
The body’s ability to maintain a set temperature.
What is a typical BMR?
Basal Metabolic Rate
70 kilocalories/hr
Define:
evaporation
Conversion from liquid to gas.
E.g. sweating
Define:
convection
Transfer of energy by moving air over a liquid.
E.g. wind chill across the body
Define:
conduction
Direct physical contact transfers energy from one to the other.
E.g. jumping into a cold lake
Define:
radiation
Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves.
Heat loss through the head.
Define:
thermolysis
Refers to the body’s process of releasing stored heat.
Define:
thermogenesis
The body’s ability to produce heat and energy.
How do certain medications alter the body’s ability to maintain proper thermoregulation?
- Diuretics causes dehydration.
- Beta blockers limit compensation of cardiovascular systems.
Define:
heat cramps
acute muscle spasms
It occurs from profuse sweating and sodium loss.
Assessment:
heat cramps
- Hypotension
- Nausea
- Rapid pulse
- Pale and moist skin
- Normal temperature
Treatment:
heat cramps
- Move to a cool environment.
- Fluid replenishment
- IV normal saline
Define:
heat exhaustion
Heat stress and volume depletion.
Assessment:
heat exhaustion
- Temperature of < 104 °F
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cramping
Treatment:
heat exhaustion
- Passive Cooling
- Fluids
- Supine with legs elevated
- Oral hydration
Define:
heat stroke
- core body temp of > 104°F
- altered mental status
Assessment:
heat stroke
- CBT of > 104°F
- Altered mental status
- Dry and flushed skin
- Tachycardia
- Hypotension or normotensive
Treatment:
heat stroke
- Remove the patient from the offending environment.
- Strip the patient’s clothing.
- Cover the patient in ice water.
- Fan the patient.
- Administer fluid resuscitation.
Define:
frostbite
Ischemic injury to tissues due to exposures to extremely cold temperatures.
What are the signs/symptoms of superficial frostbite?
- Altered sensation
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Burning
- White/waxy
What are the signs/symptoms of deep frostbite?
- hard skin and tissues
- skin color: yellow, mottled blue, white
- loss of sensation
What are the signs/symptoms of Gangrene?
skin color: black or mottled black
It causes permanent damage.
Treatment:
frostbite
- Get the patient out of the cold.
- Remove wet clothing.
- Do not rub or massage the affected area.
- Cover with a dry, sterile dressing.
- Administer pain management.
- Consider rewarming the area if there’s no risk of refreezing.
Define:
Trench Foot
Extended exposure to wet and cold environments.
Define:
hypothermia
core body temperature of < 35°C
Define:
mild hypothermia
core body temperature of 34-36°C
Treatment:
mild hypothermia
passive rewarming
Define:
moderate hypothermia
core body temperature of 30-34 °C
Define:
severe hypothermia
core body temperature of < 30°C
Treatment:
severe hypothermia
- Administer warm IV fluids.
- Provide warm, humidified oxygen.
- Perform warm cavity lavage.
- Implement passive or active rewarming techniques.
How is hypothermia classified based on body temperature in degrees Celsius?
- Mild: 34-36 °C
- Moderate: 30-34 °C
- Severe: < 30 °C
Fill in the blank.
Every 33 feet below sea level is ___ atmosphere(s).
1
What are the associated considerations in a freshwater drowning?
Bacteria and infection from the water.
What are the associated considerations in a saltwater drowning?
Salt causes fluid shift in the lungs.
What is barotrauma, and how does it occur?
An injury caused by ascending too quickly to the surface which causes the lung tissue to expand too quickly.
It can cause pneumothorax.
Define:
decompression sickness
Nitrogen within the blood is forced into the tissues of the body.
Treatment:
decompression sickness
hyperbaric chamber
Define:
altitude illness
The effects of altitude on the body due to a decrease in atmospheric pressure.
What are the signs/symptoms of acute mountain illness?
Headache associated with fatigue, weakness, GI symptoms, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping.
What are the signs/symptoms of high-altitude pulmonary edema?
At least two of the following:
- Dyspnea
- Cough
- Weakness
- Chest tightness
- Wheezing
- Rales
- Tachypnea
What are the signs/symptoms of High Altitude Cerebral Edema?
HACE
altered mental status or mental changes
Define:
The Lichtenburg Figure
Lightning strands burned into the skin.
What type of snakes are crotalids?
pit vipers
E.g. Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths (venomous snakes)
What type of snakes are elapids?
coral snakes
What are the characteristics of a venomous and non-venomous snake?
Venomous:
- Vertical pupils
- Two fangs
- Pit between the eye
Non-venomous:
- Round pupils
- Double row of teeth
Treatment:
venom
- Clean the wound with antimicrobials.
- Draw blood from the affected area.
- Immobilize the extremity.
- Remove jewelry.
- Administer CroFab (antivenom).
Assessment:
Brown Recluse vs. Black Widow bite
Brown Recluse:
- Bites are painless
- Sloughing of skin
- Necrotic lesion
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fever
Black Widow:
- Instant pain
- Local muscle spasm
- Abdominal spasms
- Nausea/vomiting
- Respiratory difficulty
Treatment:
stingray injury
Soak the affected area in hot (not scalding) fresh/salt water.
Treatment:
jellyfish sting
Rinse the affected area with saltwater.
If the fluid is hypotonic, the vesicle can swell and potentially burst, releasing more toxin.
What insect can cause Lyme Disease from its bite?
tick
How do you properly remove a tick?
- Use curved forceps.
- Grasp the tick by its head, as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull straight up with steady pressure.
- Dispose of the tick in a container of alcohol.
