Medical question for the f'list

[sholio]

For those of you with medical backgrounds - fanfic-related question! Let's say that you have a person who is in (mild) hypovolemic shock due to blood loss and is also chilled from exposure (but not severely hypothermic). You have a pint/liter of saline with you that you could give them intravenously, but it's also chilled because it's been outside along with you, while searching for them. Is it better to do nothing and focus on warming them up, or to give them cold saline and increase their blood volume while risking dropping their body temperature further?

Or is this one of those case-by-case things?

Comments

[parmalokwen.livejournal.com]

No medical background beyond a first aid class several years ago, so I can't help you personally, but the following groups are good for these questions:

http://community.livejournal.com/little_details/
Handles all kinds of questions, after Google and Wikipedia fail. (They expect you to try those first.)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fanfic_med/
Medical questions only.

[sholio]

I knew about little_details but didn't really want to bother them with something so, well, frivolous. XD Figured I'd try the flist first. But thank you very much for the links! *bookmarks*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I have no idea about the answer, but am intrigued to see if anyone does.

From my first aid class, it was drummed into us that shock kills fast and unexpectedly, so I'd probably go for sticking the saline pouch under my own coat to warm it up while getting the person somewhere warm/secure, then getting it into them as fast as possible - they're not going to recover from the hypothermia at all if they're suffering shock.

Just my 2p's worth - will be watching to see what an expert says!

[sholio]

Yeah, and they're not really in a bad way as far as hypothermia goes -- just run down, tired and chilled. So I'm thinking that treating the blood loss first will probably be the way to go.

[anniehow.livejournal.com]

...

I hadn't even thought of that scenario! You're a genius, especially for cold weather h/c!!

can't help you on the answer though, sorry

[sholio]

*laughs* Sometimes I worry that my brain comes up with these things!

[altyronsmaker.livejournal.com]

My mother the 25 yr practicing nurse

Administer the saline first. Set up the IV, let the fluids get in there, and while those are going, start with the warming up process. BUT for triage, hypovolemic shock is the priority. Get the fluids in first, then warm em up.

[sholio]

Ah! Thank you (and your mom!) very much; that's exactly what I needed to know. :D

[starwatcher]

.
I have no idea. Fortunately, fandom to the rescue. I just wanted to say, [a] I love your stories, [b] I look forward to reading this one, and [c] isn't it amazing where fanfic will take us? And teach us. I'm convinced that I could never have written before the Internet; I wouldn't be willing to do the needed research. Now, it's only a few clicks away.

Also: go, you!
.

[sholio]

Thank you very much! :D I really have learned a lot (about writing, and about other stuff too) from reading and writing fanfic. :)

[sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com]

I love that this is a question on my flist :D It seriously makes me so happy!

[sholio]

*giggles* Thanks! I sometimes wonder about my brain, that it comes up with scenarios like this at 2 a.m. ...

[linziday.livejournal.com]

OMG, now I can't wait to read the story that prompted *this* question!