´Measures to Reverse Hypothermia
´Nursing Interventions to Reverse Hypothermia
´Overview of the Disease
´Hypothermia is a medical emergency that happens when the body starts to lose heat more than it can produce heat. Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature fall below 35 degrees. The normal body temperature is usually 37 degrees.
´Hypothermia is caused by a long exposure to very cold weather conditions. Metabolic disorders, drug toxicity, malnutrition and encephalopathy (Watters, Wilson & Everitt, 2019). Measures to Reverse Hypothermia Essay
´Hypothermia is mostly common in infants. The prevalence for babies born at home is between 10 to 93 percent while the prevalence for babies given birth to at the hospital is between 31 to 84 percent across the world.
´Pathophysiology of the Disease
´Hypothermia have elements that are moderate to severe including significant confusion, drowsiness, weak pulse, apathy and slurred speech.
´The first stage indicates reduced circulation and shivering
´During the second stage, the patient gets slow, lacks coordination, becomes confused, irritable and breathes slowly.
´In the advanced stage, there is absent, slow and sometimes weak pulse and respiration.
´The diagnosis for hypothermia is done through a blood test as well as taking the body temperatures (James, 2020).
´The risk factors for hypothermia include mental disease, old age, drug use and very young age
´The diagnostic procedure for hypothermia is conducted by taking the temperatures of the patient as well as checking the symptoms. The body temperatures and the symptoms determine the stage of the disease whether it is severe, mild or moderate. Measures to Reverse Hypothermia Essay
´Hypothermia is treated by, blood warming, irrigation, airway rewarming, passive rewarming and warm intravenous fluid.
´Assessment of Hypothermia
Subjective Data
History of chief complaint:
üNumbness, shivering, mental confusion.
Past Medical History (PMH):
üLow blood sugar
üAnorexia
Objective Data
Physical Examination/ Vitals:
üPatient is lethargic (Paal et al, 2016)
üHeartbeat 100
üBP 98/68
üTemperatures 34.9 degrees
üSkin turgor is greater than 5 seconds
üWhite Blood Cells 18.6
Diagnostic Procedures:
üBlood gases
üCT scan
üECG
üFBC
ü
´Analysis
Differential diagnosis:
üDrug toxicity like cocaine or benzodiazepine
üCerebrovascular accident. Measures to Reverse Hypothermia Essay
üThiamine deficiency
üHypoglycemia (Kurisu & Yenari, 2018).
üNeuromuscular disease
üMalnutrition
´Planning and Implementations
üGive the patient heated oral fluids
üProvide warming blankets, pads and mattresses
üProvide moisturized and heated oxygen to the patient (Legriel et al, 2016)