A guide to the preservation of life at sea after shipwreck / Medical Research Council, Committee on the Care of Shipwrecked Personnel.

Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A guide to the preservation of life at sea after shipwreck / Medical Research Council, Committee on the Care of Shipwrecked Personnel. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The best way of thawing the part is to put it in cold (not warm) water, with the rest of the patient warmly wrapped up. On thawing, the skin will at once soften and will quickly become pink or red. Rubbing with snow or otherwise—or any kind of massage—is dangerous. | __ If pain is severe on thawing, cool the part again for a little while with cold water, ice or snow. After thawing, warming up must be’very gradual; it is dangerous to apply hot water or bottles, or to warm the limb in front of a fire. Clean and dry the affected part most gently; dust it carefully with sulphanilamide powder and wrap it in clean material. Afterwards keep the part at absolute rest. Do not open any blisters or other breaks in the skin; this is a matter for the Medical Officer. Keep the body warm, but the damaged part cool. See that the patient has a hot meal. Treatment of immersion foot The following treatment of immersion foot must begin immediately after rescue from boat or raft. Lift the patient on board the rescue vessel; remove all clothes from his body and wrap him in warm blankets. ; Hot bottles may be placed near the body_between the blankets, but none should be allowed to come near the affected limbs, which should always be kept cool. The limbs may be cooled by the use of fans and even ice in case of necessity, but the ice should not be brought into direct contact with the skin. While it is desirable ~that the temperature of the skin should be reduced to about 80° F., it is highly undesirable that it should be reduced much below 70° F.y the skin temperature should therefore be taken, by placing a bath thermometer against the skin, under a | ~ covering of cotton wool. The limbs will swell again if allowed to warm up too soon. Handle the limbs very gently and allow them to warm up only gradually; heating or rubbing them in any way is harmful. Continue the treatment until all swelling has gone and the patient is able to walk without pain, or until he comes under medical attention. Dust all blisters, open sores, or darkened areas of skin with sulphanilamide powder and cover with clean dry cloths. Keep the feet and legs quite dry and do not apply any lotions, ointments, or antiseptic, except the powder recommended above. LIBRARY o. Ly forinss “B2144. Wt. 1975 75000 1/43. U.BL. G428. : S.O. Code No. 45-9-8
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