Burns and Heat Emergencies

Question 1

What can happen to your brain and vital organs if you do not get rid of excess heat fast enough?

Answer 1

Brain & vital organs will get damaged

Question 2

What can Heat exhaustion put you at risk for

Answer 2

Heat stroke and if left untreated then death

Question 3

How do humans get rid of excess heat?

Answer 3

Through the skin. Warm blood goes through dilated blood vessels and it evaporates through sweat

Question 4

What are the five specific ways the body loses heat?

Answer 4

Radiation:indirect touch
Evaporation: perspiration
Convection: through air
Respiration: breathing
Conduction: through direct touch

Question 5

How does the body conserve heat?

Answer 5

shivering and vasoconstriction(decreases blood flow)
goosebumps
Gain heat from the sun through radiation

Question 6

How much of the human body is water? How do we lose water?

Answer 6

50-60% of the adults body weight
Lose 2 quarts through breathing, urinating, sweating, and bowel movements.

Question 7

How much water is required for an adult versus how much an adult sweats?

Answer 7

2 quarts/ 2 liters a day of water
Can produce 2-3 quarts of sweat per hour or 10-15 quarts a day

Question 8

How can dehydration occur and what are some signs of dehydration?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

How much water is the best amount to drink when working? Why is it not possible to “catch up on water”?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What are the best fluids to avoid dehydration during warm weathers? What are some common beverages to avoid in general?

Answer 10

Cool fluids; little sodium and less than 8% of sugar
Alcoholic beverages, soda pop, and fruit juices should be avoided

Question 11

What electrolytes are found in sweat and urine? What foods can you find them in? Explain the relationship between water and sodium?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

When should you drink sports drinks?

Answer 12

In a vigorous physical activity lasting for more than 1 hour

Question 13

What is water intoxication?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What effects can humidity have on the risks of heat illness?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Who is at risk for heat illnesses?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

What medications can alter sweat production?

Answer 16

Antihistamines, antipsychotics, and antidepressants

Question 17

List some hot weather precautions

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Describe heat exhaustion and list some symptoms and who it affects

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Treatment of heat exhaustion:

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Heat Stroke- name the two types, who it affects and symptoms

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Treatment of Heat Stroke:

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What are some key differences between heat stroke and heat exhaustion

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Describe heat cramps:

Answer 23

Painful muscle spasms in ab muscle of the back of leg during or after vigorous exercise
Heavy sweating

Question 24

Treatment of heat cramps;

Answer 24

Rest in cool pace
Lightly salted cool water or sports drinks
Lightly stretch and massage muscles
Apply ice pack to muscles

Question 25

Define a burn

Answer 25

An injury in which soft tissue absorbs more energy than it can dissipate from thermal heat, chemicals, or electricity

Question 26

Which group of individuals are at the highest risk for burns? Why?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

What are the 3 classifications of burns? Describe them

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Describe a first degree superficial burn

Answer 28

Affects epidermis
Redness, mild swelling, tenderness and pain
Healing occurs in a week

Question 29

Describe a Second degree partial-thickness burns

Answer 29

Affects inner layer and outer layer
Blisters, swelling, weeping of fluids, and severe pain
Capillary blood vessels are damaged giving up fluid in tissues

Question 30

Describe Third degree full-thickness burns

Answer 30

Affects all skin layers
Leathery, waxy, or pearly gray skin that could be charred
Dry appearance

Question 31

Describe the rule of nines

Answer 31

Head 9%, arm 9%
Torso 18%, back 18%, each leg 18%
Small children and infants: head 18% and leg is 14%

Question 32

Rule of the hand

Answer 32

Fingers and thumb is 1%of TBSA
Estimate unburned area and subtract from 100%

Question 33

Why are burns of of the hands, feet face airway or genitalia be considered a critical burn?

Answer 33

A circumferential burn (finger, toe, arm, leg neck or chest)- possible constriction and cut off air flow
Lose function in them

Question 34

How do you treat 1st degree burn?

Answer 34

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)

Question 35

How do you treat 2nd degree burns?

Answer 35

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

Question 36

How do you treat 3rd degree burns?

Answer 36

Cover the burn with dry, nonstick, sterile or clean dressing
Call 9-1-1

Question 37

How do you treat a chemical burn?

Answer 37

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

Question 38

What are the three types of electrical injuries

Answer 38

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

Question 39

How do you treat electrical burns?

Answer 39

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

Question 40

What are some common causes of indoor electrical burns?

Answer 40

Faulty electrical equipment, or careless use fo electrical appliances. Turn off electricity and do not touch person until it is off

Question 41

What are some problems with burns?

Answer 41

airway issues
toxic inhalations
musculoskeletal injuries
loss of body fluids
pain and swelling
anxiety
infection

Question 42

What can inhalation injuries be caused by?

Answer 42

carbon monoxide
toxic chemicals or smoke
heat inhalation

Question 43

Symptoms of inhalation injuries

Answer 43

stridor
burns of face
singed nasal hair
carbon in saliva/ mouth
dyspnea
cyanosis
restlessness
coughing

Question 44

Carbon monoxide symptoms

Answer 44

cyanosis, altered mental state, headahce, weakness, and cyanosis