The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide - Uniformed Services ...

HypothermiaA lowering of body core temperature below 95° F is not an uncommon cold injuryof SEALs and mild hypothermia is a relatively easy injury to treat. Moderate to severehypothermia is less common and should be treated as a medical emergency. Some warningsigns of a falling body core temperature include:" Uncontrollable shivering." Slurred speech." Clumsiness." Slowed thought process." If shivering stops but all other signs are present - it could be an indication ofsevere hypothermia.If any of the above signs occur, immediate action should be taken to preventfurther injury or death. Always handle personnel suspected of having hypothermia gently- do not allow them to perform vigorous exercise to warm up as this may cause cardiacarrest. Remove wet clothing and place the individual in dry blankets or sleeping bag withone or two other dry and warm personnel. Never completely immerse ahypothermia patient in warm/hot water as this may result in cardiacarrest. Passive rewarming is usually satisfactory for mild hypothermia, but may not beadequate for severe cases.Gentle rewarming is the safest method ofrestoring normal body temperature.FrostbiteFrostbite is a freezing injury which most commonly affects the hands and feet.However, it can occur to any surface of the body that is not adequately protected.Symptoms often follow a progressive pattern to include the initial sensation of coldfollowed by numbness and eventually pain during rewarming. The skin may appear normalor appear pale. If a frostbite injury is suspected, attempts to thaw theaffected tissue should be avoided until there is absolutely no chance of itrefreezing. Frostbitten feet should not be thawed if it is necessary for the injured to walkunassisted to the extraction or medevac site. Rewarming is associated with severe pain andmay turn walking wounded casualties into nonambulatory casualties. All cases of frostbiterequire evaluation at a definitive medical treatment facility.192 Training for Specific Environments