Advanced Hypothermia Management: Essential Strategies for Wilderness and Remote Settings

Cold & Polar Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

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Join Gordon Giesbrecht, renowned expert in cold physiology, in this comprehensive World Extreme Medicine webinar on advanced hypothermia management. Drawing from decades of research and practical experience, Giesbrecht covers crucial topics including:

Identifying signs and symptoms of hypothermia in remote settings.
The Cold Card: A practical tool for assessing and managing cold patients.
Wilderness vs hospital management of hypothermia.
Effective rewarming techniques and insulation methods.
Handling severely hypothermic patients to avoid complications.
The importance of gentle handling and maintaining horizontal positioning.
Creating an effective hypothermia wrap with limited resources.
Managing rescue collapse and evacuation considerations.
Critical equipment for remote hypothermia management.

Whether you’re a wilderness medicine professional, search and rescue team member, or outdoor enthusiast, this webinar provides invaluable insights to help you assess and treat hypothermia in challenging environments. Learn how to make critical decisions and implement effective strategies to save lives in cold-weather emergencies. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge of hypothermia management from one of the field’s leading experts!

More Information

Length: 1hr 4m

Guests: Gordon Giesbrecht

Host: Eoin Walker

Categories: Cold & Polar Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Utilise the Cold Card to accurately assess the severity of hypothermia in patients without specialised equipment.

2. Differentiate between cold stress, mild, moderate, and severe hypothermia based on observable signs and symptoms.

3. Implement appropriate treatment strategies for each stage of hypothermia in wilderness settings.

4. Explain the importance of gentle handling and horizontal positioning in managing moderate to severe hypothermia patients.

5. Construct an effective hypothermia wrap using basic materials commonly available in wilderness first aid kits.

6. Describe the concept of rescue collapse and implement strategies to prevent it during patient extrication and transport.

7. Demonstrate understanding of the “be gentle and horizontal” principle in hypothermia management.

8. Evaluate the risks and benefits of various rewarming techniques in remote settings.

9. Explain the importance of vapour barriers in hypothermia management and their role in maintaining insulation efficacy.

10. Conduct an effective 60-second pulse and breathing check for severely hypothermic patients.

11. Make informed decisions about clothing removal and management for wet hypothermic patients. 1

2. Describe appropriate CPR considerations and techniques for severely hypothermic patients in wilderness settings.