Unit 3

Heat stroke involves confusion, altered mental state, hot dry skin, cerebral edema, and loss of sweating ability.

Quickly cool the body to below 102°F within an hour, using fluids, cooling measures, and monitoring vital signs.

Frostbite is freezing of body fluids, causing tissue damage from cold temperatures.

Frostbite symptoms include a hard, cold, numb extremity, appearing white or blue-white.

Frostbite risk is elevated for those exposed to extreme cold, including people with mobility issues, mental health disorders, or substance abuse.

Controlled, gradual rewarming over 30-40 minutes, with pain management as needed.

Do NOT use hot water, massage, or wet gauze.

Assess for potential hyperkalemia due to K release after frostbite injury.

Symptoms include right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, coagulopathies, lethargy, encephalopathy, sweating, enlarged liver, low blood sugar, upset stomach, and metabolic acidosis.

Remove constricting items, apply warmth, cleanse wound, apply light sterile dressing, and immobilize the injured area below heart level.

Measure the circumference of the affected extremity every 30-60 minutes for 48 hours to monitor for compartment syndrome.

Corticosteroids are contraindicated in the first 6-8 hours after a snake bite because they may decrease antibody production and hinder antivenin effectiveness.

Antivenin is most effective within 4 hours and should be administered within 12 hours of the snake bite.

Anthrax can infect through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation.

Cremation is recommended after death due to anthrax spores that can remain viable for extended periods.

Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Penicillin, and Doxycycline are treatment options for anthrax within 24 hours of exposure, for a duration of 60 days.

Patients should avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco due to vasoconstriction effects.

Syrup of ipecac is no longer used to induce vomiting because of the risk of aspiration, especially with corrosive poisoning.

Dilute with milk or water. Do NOT induce vomiting. Gastric lavage is useful within 1 hour of ingestion for obtunded patients for removing the poison.

Activated charcoal is used to absorb ingested poisons. Give orally or via NG tube. Effective in small doses to decrease vomiting.

Opioid overdose symptoms include pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, bradycardia, hypotension, altered LOC, and pulmonary edema.

Naloxone (Narcan) is the antidote for opioid overdose.

Benzodiazepine overdose symptoms include decreased LOC, drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, and mimicking intoxication.

Flumazenil (Romazicon) is the antidote for Benzodiazepine overdose.

If you are exposed to anthrax, but have no symptoms, take Ciprofloxacin or Doxycycline for 60 days. This is also the treatment for cutaneous anthrax.

In a mass casualty event, treat suspected anthrax exposure with Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacin.

A system used to prioritize patients based on the severity of their injuries or illnesses.

A system used in emergency rooms to categorize patients into five levels of urgency based on their medical needs.

The most urgent category in the ESI system, requiring immediate and continuous care.

A system for prioritizing patients in a disaster situation based on the greatest good for the most people.

A category in disaster triage for patients with life-threatening conditions requiring immediate care.

A category in disaster triage for patients with injuries so severe that survival is unlikely, even with treatment.

A life-threatening condition where the body's heat-regulating mechanisms fail, leading to dangerously high body temperature.

Confusion, altered mental state, hot and dry skin, possible seizures, delirium, or coma due to brain swelling, and a lack of sweating.

Rapidly cool the body to below 102°F within an hour. This includes removing clothing, applying cooling blankets, ice packs in the armpits and groin, and tepid baths.

It's tissue damage caused by freezing temperatures, which can cause permanent injury to the affected area.

Controlled and rapid rewarming for 30 to 40 minutes. Pain medication may be given during rewarming. After warming, the affected area should be protected from injury and elevated to reduce swelling.

Avoid using hot water, massaging the area, or applying wet gauze. These can cause further damage to the tissue.

The most important action in poisoning is limiting further exposure to the toxin. This might involve removing the toxin source, preventing its absorption, or diluting it.

Gastric lavage, washing out the stomach, is only effective within the first hour of ingestion. It's only used for patients who are very drowsy or unconscious (obtunded).

Activated charcoal absorbs toxins in the digestive system, preventing their absorption into the bloodstream. It's given orally or via a tube into the stomach (NG tube).

Pinpoint pupils are a characteristic sign of opioid overdose. These pupils are very small and constricted, almost like pinpricks.

Narcan (Naloxone) is the specific antidote that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. It quickly blocks the effects of opioids in the brain.

Flumazenil (Romazicon) reverses the effects of benzodiazepine overdose. It blocks the action of these medicines at their receptors in the brain.

Never induce vomiting after ingesting a corrosive substance. It causes further damage on the way up and down the digestive system.

The main goal is to remove or inactivate the poison, minimize organ damage, and support the patient's vital functions.

Hepatic failure can cause coagulation problems, lethargy, and encephalopathy.

Acetylcysteine (Mucomyst) is an antidote for acetaminophen overdose, which can cause liver damage.

Snake bites most often occur during daylight hours and early evening in the summer months.

Immobilize a snake bite BELOW heart level.

Measure the circumference of the injured extremity every 30-60 minutes for 48 hours to monitor for compartment syndrome.

Anthrax doesn't spread from person to person.

Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Penicillin, and Doxycycline are used to treat anthrax within 24 hours of exposure.

In a mass casualty event, treat suspected anthrax exposure with Doxycycline and Ciprofloxacin.