What is the first thing you should do when approaching someone with a cold-related illness?

What is the first thing you should do when approaching someone with a cold-related illness?

• A. Measure temperature
• B. Remove wet clothing
• C. Dry/warm patient
• D. Remove them from the environment

Answer: (D)

The first thing to do is get the person out of the cold environment. Moving them to a warmer, sheltered setting stops ongoing heat loss caused by wind, cold air, rain, or snow, which is the most immediate threat in a cold-related illness. Once they’re in a warmer place, you can begin rewarming and dressing them in dry clothing—removing wet clothes and drying/warming come next to restore body heat. Measuring temperature is useful for assessment, but it doesn’t stop the ongoing heat loss, so it isn’t the initial step.

The first thing to do is get the person out of the cold environment. Moving them to a warmer, sheltered setting stops ongoing heat loss caused by wind, cold air, rain, or snow, which is the most immediate threat in a cold-related illness. Once they’re in a warmer place, you can begin rewarming and dressing them in dry clothing—removing wet clothes and drying/warming come next to restore body heat. Measuring temperature is useful for assessment, but it doesn’t stop the ongoing heat loss, so it isn’t the initial step.