Cooling Treatments

Overview :

Depending on the medical need, various cooling methods are used.

• Cold packs and ice bags are placed on a localized site and provide topical relief. These compresses should be covered with a waterproof material to protect the skin. Repeated treatments produce the desired pain and swelling relief.
• Cold treatments are placed on the groin and under the arms to treat hyperthermia. Treatments are refreshed periodically until the appropriate temperature is attained.
• A tepid sponge bath relieves fever without cooling the body too fast. Eighty degrees Fahrenheit is still 20°F below body temperature and yet warm enough not to drive blood from the skin, thereby preventing the cooling from getting to the body's core. Limbs are bathed first and then the chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks.
• Perfusion of isolated regions like the brain by using cooled blood is an experimental treatment, offering promising results for the treatment of stroke.
  
  

  Next