Question

If the patient is experiencing mild to moderate hypothermia, what treatment should be done?

A) Apply warm blankets and provide warm fluids orally
B) Administer cold fluids to raise the core temperature
C) Immerse the patient in cold water to rapidly rewarm
D) Apply ice packs to extremities to improve circulation

Answer 1

For mild to moderate hypothermia, it is recommended to apply warm blankets to the patient and provide warm fluids orally to safely raise the patient's core body temperature. Therefore, the correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient is experiencing mild to moderate hypothermia, the appropriate treatment is A) Apply warm blankets and provide warm fluids orally. This course of action aids in gently raising the patient's core body temperature. Once the patient is in a controlled environment, gradual rewarming is key. Overly aggressive rewarming or applying external heat sources, like ice packs or cold water, could lead to further complications.

It's important to understand that controlled hypothermia in medical settings is significantly different from accidental hypothermia. Controlled hypothermia is carefully induced and managed by healthcare professionals to reduce the metabolic demands during certain medical procedures or after events such as a cardiac arrest. Conversely, accidental hypothermia is a potentially dangerous condition where the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, leading to a drop in core body temperature below 34.4 degrees C (94 degrees F).