While camping with friends, you are asked to help find a nearby camper's lost son. The 9-year-old boy is found after being lost in the woods for several hours in temperatures below 10°F. His hands have a white, waxy appearance. When you touch them, they feel cold and hard. He says they are tingling and hurt a lot. Which of the following actions will you take?

A) Place his hands in warm water
B) Rub his hands briskly to warm them
C) Place his hands in cool water and apply calamine lotion
D) Break any blisters that have formed after assessing his CABs
E) Pour hot water over his hands to thaw them

Question

Kishan Ginoya · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : A, Explanation :  The boy's symptoms suggest he has frostbite, characterized by white, waxy-looking skin and a hard, cold feel. The correct initial treatment is to rewarm the affected area in warm water (not hot), which helps in gradually increasing the temperature of the tissues without causing further damage. Rubbing the hands or using very hot water can cause more damage to the tissues. Cool water, calamine lotion, and breaking blisters are not appropriate treatments for frostbite.

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