Disclaimer: I do not own Emergency. I just borrow the characters from the original writers from time to time. I am not making any money off this story.
Hi. I have enjoyed writing this story and I want to Thank, khollie for beta reading it for me. Her suggestions were very helpful.
I think I should admit that I was a Certified EMT at one time of my life. And even though it has been many years since those days, I have tried to up date my medical knowledge to the best of my ability. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
I wanted to explain to my readers, my understanding of Hypothermia and the reason I chose the season of spring for this story.
Hypothermia can happen even in the summer, if the conditions are right.
The basic definition:
Hypothermia occurs when more heat escapes from your body than your body can produce. Signs and symptoms of hypothermia may include gradual loss of mental and physical abilities. Severe hypothermia can lead to death.
For most people, hypothermia isn't a serious risk. Still, each year nearly 700 people in the United States die of hypothermia. Prolonged exposure to cold air or cold water temperatures are common causes.
Another factor that plays a roll in my story in developing hypothermia is shock which allows the body to loose heat faster.
Symptoms:
Hypothermia usually occurs gradually. Often, people aren't aware that they need help, much less medical attention.
Common signs to look for are shivering, which is your body's attempt to generate heat through muscle activity, and the "-umbles":
Stumbles
Mumbles
Fumbles
Grumbles
These behaviors may be a result of changes in consciousness and motor coordination caused by hypothermia. Other hypothermia symptoms may include:
Slurred speech
Abnormally slow rate of breathing
Cold, pale skin
Fatigue, lethargy or apathy
When your body temperature gets too low you don't even feel cold any longer. There have been incidents when hypothermia victims have removed their clothing leaving a trail to there dead bodys.
The severity of hypothermia can vary, depending on how low your core body temperature goes. Severe hypothermia eventually leads to cardiac and respiratory failure, then death.
Personal knowledge:
My older sister, (Who was a certified EMT at the time) Developed hypothermia in a similar situation. In her case she was hiking when a down pore hit higher up in the mountains causing the stream that had to be crossed to rise. Though she did have dry clothing to change into. She held off knowing that she would only get wet again, Her wet clothing sapped the warmth from her body and her temperature dropped and she developed hypothermia. If she had not been hiking with friends she would have died because she didn't realize her own symptoms. Before they had crossed the last river she no longer remembers what happened. The next thing she remembers is awaking in an ambulance and looking upon the sweating face of one of her fellow co-workers. This was in Southern Utah in June.
I also had an elderly friend who developed hypothermia in the middle of the summer. This happened right in his own home. Factors that caused him to developed hypothermia were illness and lack of movement, and dehydration. Also along with the fact that older people's bodies don't keep their body heat very well.
