Deep freeze
The leaves have fallen, the grass is brown, and everyone is scrambling to wrap their water pipes. There is no denying that winter is taking hold in Mississippi. Some love the cool weather and some hate it, but we all have to live with it. My late father was an amateur fur trapper in this area when I was a boy. He kept a journal that I read from time on time on the weather conditions and catch in each one of his traps throughout the winter. During a winter in 1985, he recorded several days of single digit temperatures that, to my knowledge, are still the record lows for those dates. Even though it usually doesn’t get nearly that low on a regular basis, it is wise to think about cold-related injuries during this brief season of winter.
We usually divide our cold exposure conditions into two broad categories: frozen style and hypothermia. Frostbite is the freezing of the fluid inside the cells. We can further categorize frostbite by the stages in which it occurs. Frostnip, for example, refers to a milder form of frostbite in which on the surface cells of the skin freeze. Typically, frostnip or frostbite, a slightly worse level of frostnip, occurs in areas that are exposed to the elements such as the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, or toes. The skin may become flushed at first or turn a reddish color. Frost injuries are usually very painful and have a burning or numbing sensation associated with them. The worst type of freeze injury is deep frostbite in which the skin and fatty layer of tissue under it becomes involved. Generally, this shows as a firm, white and waxy tissue.
Treating mild cases of frostbite is relatively easy and does not usually require emergency care. Generally, it is quite easy to rewarm the effect body part by cupping your hands and blowing on it or placing it in direct contact with an area of the body that is warm. Important to note is that you should not attempt to “defrost” a frostbite injury if there is a chance that it will be refrozen quickly afterwards. For more severe cases of deep frostbite, or if there is any pain or discoloration associated with it, please contact emergency care as soon as possible for active rewarming.
Hypothermia is a cold related condition that begins when the body temperature falls below around 95 degrees. Usually this happens when a victim is exposed to water during the cool months, however, it is possible to sweat and lead to some forms of hypothermia. Mild hypothermia occurs when shivering begins inside the body as the muscles move against one another in an attempt to create friction and heat. Moderate hypothermia happens as the body decreases temperatures to around 90 degrees. This will cause the victim to have an altered level of conciseness and shivering may stop. At less than 86 degrees, severe hypothermia sets in which will lead to muscle rigidity and coma or death.
Another method to judge the stage of hypothermia is to look at how their body is responding to the environment. A person shivering should go to a warm area, however, it is quickly reversible. Someone with worse hypothermia and cold, pale skin may also begin to see their respirations decrease and a slow, irregular pulse may be felt. The treatment of hypothermia is simple: get them out of the cold! Move them out of the water into a warm place. Remove any wet clothing and replace it with a warm blanket. You might try placing hot towels under the armpits or in the groin to actively rewarm the victim. Contact emergency care immediately!
I have often heard it said that it is a good thing that it doesn’t get severely cold in Mississippi often because we just don’t know how to deal with it. As rarely as these events are, it makes it all the more important that we respond to them correctly. When the temperature drops, make sure that you are taking all the right precautions to protect yourself from the elements. Dress in warm layers of clothing that can be removed if you begin to sweat. Try to limit exposure to severely cold temperatures, especially if you are working strenuously. Of course, with the way the weather operates in the Deep South, there is a good chance that it will be sunny and 80 degrees when you read this article. If that be the case, save it and reread it on one of cold days. Stay safe out there.
M. Eric Williams, MS, NR-P is a Mississippi native and the Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Technology Education at Jones County Junior College. He is a current Doctoral researcher at Delta State University and has 15 years’ experience in healthcare. If you have questions or comments, you may contact him at eric.williams@jcjc.edu
