ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH TO KEEP YOUR PATIENT WARM?

Imagine how cold your run of the mill elderly patient is in the comfort of their own home. Now, envision how chilly they feel wearing only their normal clothes (no coat, generally) when we take them outside on a stair chair or a gurney. Please remember to focus on patient warmth. If you only have two light blankets on your gurney this winter, there’s so much more you could be doing.

Here are some tips to consider for patient warmth:

• Load up on blankets. Bring at least 3 into the home with you.
• Use a towel to wrap around the patient’s head.
• Consider using the heavier “yellow” blanket as a final layer before seat belts.
• For patients exposed to the cold for any duration, break out the heat pack (under the bench seat). Among other things, it includes an air activated disposable heat blanket. Open it up the heat pack as soon as you arrive onscene so it has time to warm up.