Looking through the newspaper archives we can see that every year in Spain, hypothermia is behind some of the victims in the mountains. It is enough to type the right words into Google to realise that this is not an isolated case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside our mountains, surely you all remember the case of the 21 runners who died during the course of an ultra-marathon in China in May 2021, just over two years ago. A tragedy that could have been avoided, in which all the necessary ingredients for hypothermia to occur coincided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hypothermia is defined as a decrease in core body temperature (CBT), the inner core of the body, to below 35\u00b0C. It occurs when the body loses more heat than it is able to generate and in severe cases can lead to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Body heat is dissipated in various ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The International Commission for Emergency Mountain Medicine (ICAR MEDDCOM) and the Medical Commission of the International Union of Mountaineering Associations (UIAA MEDDCOM) have established a practical method based on clinical signs and their relationship to core body temperature that divides hypothermia into five degrees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first objective is to prevent this situation from occurring. It is important to pay attention to the members of the group in order to identify the first signs of hypothermia: shivering, fatigue, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In such a case, it is necessary to know how to give up the activity. Continuing physical activity generates warmth, but can be counterproductive if fatigue is excessive. In addition, trying to reason with a person with symptoms of hypothermia can be difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The procedure starts by stopping the heat loss and call 112<\/a>. The first thing to try to do is to find a sheltered place safe from wind and damp. Whenever possible, change wet or damp clothing for dry clothing, and if not available, wring out wet clothing as much as possible. Next, increase the amount of warm clothing, while remembering to protect the head and neck, and keep the subject insulated from colder surfaces with anything: rucksacks, plastic sheeting, a mat, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the person is in a mild state of hypothermia and tolerates food intake, we will try to give them a hot or cold drink, the important thing is to hydrate. Repeat the operation every 15 minutes until normal urine production is restored. Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and diuretic drinks. Later, we can give them sugary or high-energy foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of the above is not sufficient to restore body temperature, skin-to-skin contact with someone in the group who is kept warm, in a sleeping bag or wrapped in a blanket, may be necessary. If we have the possibility to heat water, we can place hot water bottles wrapped in socks between the armpits and groin. Be careful with this as there is a danger of overheating shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In more advanced stages, if the victim is unconscious, do not give him a drink. Avoid moving him or her or move him or her gently to avoid sending a jet of cold blood to the heart. In this state, it is necessary to treat the victim in a hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n READ ALSO:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hypothermia: how to prevent it and act in case of emergency. We look at the main causes of hypothermia and tell you how to act.","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":32001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2958],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-4786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seguridad","post_format-post-format-image"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/travesiapirenaica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/hipotermia.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/travesiapirenaica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Caratula-Podcast-Maldita-Montana_1500x1500_72pp-p_.jpg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":[],"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/travesiapirenaica.com\/en\/feed\/podcast\/maldita-montana","embedCode":"Hipotermia en monta\u00f1a<\/a><\/blockquote>