First aid for frostbite: techniques that will help and harm

Оказание первой помощи при обморожении: приемы, которые помогут и навредят

Many people are looking forward to the arrival of winter, counting on walks in a snow-covered city, playing snowballs with children, and other types of winter activities. But for some, being in cold air ends up not very pleasant — frostbite.

The situation itself is not unique, and in fact many people experience cold trauma. Therefore, it is important to know about first aid for frostbite — what techniques will help to maintain health and not to prevent serious consequences.

First aid for frostbite: what techniques are prohibited
First Aid Rules for Frostbite

First aid for frostbite: what techniques are prohibited

It makes sense to start with this block of information, because according to statistics, incorrect first aid leads to severe complications that could have been avoided.

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So, by no means

Do not rub a supercooled or frostbitten part of the body.Such actions will in no way accelerate blood circulation and warming of tissues. During frostbite, the blood vessels are narrowed to a critical state and rubbing leads to the destruction of their walls, which is fraught with necrosis (death) of the frostbitten area.
Don't try to speed up warming with hot water or warm compresses.This will have the same effect as rubbing, but it in the damage is caused by strong vasodilation rather than under the influence of heat.
Don't warm up with alcohol.The warming effect of alcohol — — depressing the central nervous system, it simply reduces the sensitivity in frostbitten tissues, which can lead to a belated visit to the doctor. Without fully feeling what's going on with the frostbitten area, you can ignore the severity of the situation, which can result in treatment on the operating table.

Don't count on to resolve the situation on your own, especially if frostbite has developed in a child or an elderly person. After providing first aid, be sure to consult a doctor, as for these categories of victims, even the first degree of frostbite can end in failure.

First Aid Rules for Frostbite

In order to minimize negative health effects, it is important to carry out relief activities in a strict sequence:

Remove cold temperatures on the body. Get victim to warm room, remove cold clothing.
On the area of the body that has undergone frostbite, apply a dry (!) And non pressure bandage made of cotton fabric.This will ensure gradual warming of the affected area and prevent the destruction of blood vessels and soft tissues. If a person has been in the cold for a long time, the bandage should be made thicker so that the heat-insulating layer slows down warming more.
Place victim in bed, cover with blanket.
Drink the casualty very warm, but not hot tea (50-60°C) to warm up "from the inside".
give the victim plenty of warm drink.
If frostbite is limited to the extremities (hands or feet), you can warm them in water.
To do this, fill a suitable container with water with a temperature not above 20°C (the water should completely cover the frostbitten area) and in for 40-60 minutes gradually bring it to a temperature of 40°C. It is very important to use a thermometer for water, and not orient to subjective sensations of warmth or coldness when the skin comes into contact with water.