Immersion Foot Syndromes

Immersion Foot

Immersion foot syndromes include:

Trench foot

Warm water immersion foot

Tropical immersion foot (Paddy foot)

Trench Foot:

Trench Foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary and cold conditions. It is one of many immersion foot syndromes. The use of the word "trench" in the name of this condition is a reference to trench warfare, mainly associated with World War I.

Infected feet may become numb, affected by erythrosis (turning red) or cyanosis (turning blue) as a result of poor vascular supply, and feet may begin to have a decaying odor due to the possibility of the early stages of necrosis setting in. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called tropical ulcer (jungle rot).

If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which can cause the need for amputation. If trench foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling returns. As with other cold-related injuries, trench foot leaves sufferers more susceptible to it in the future.

Prevention:

Trench foot is easily prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, and changing socks frequently when the feet cannot be kept dry.

Warm water immersion foot:

Warm water immersion foot is a skin condition of the feet that results after exposure to warm, wet conditions for 48 hours or more, and is characterized by maceration, blanching, and wrinkling of the soles and sides of the feet.

Prevention:

Warm Water Immersion foot is easily prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, and changing socks frequently when the feet cannot be kept dry.

Tropical immersion foot:

Tropical immersion foot (also known as "Paddy foot" and "Paddy-field foot") is a skin condition of the feet seen after continuous immersion of the feet in water or mud of temperature above 22 degrees Celsius for two to ten days.

Prevention:

Tropical Immersion foot is easily prevented by keeping the feet warm and dry, and changing socks frequently when the feet cannot be kept dry. Don't keep feet in wet conditions for prolonged periods.

(above source: Wikipedia)

Immersion injuries-  Skin becomes wrinkled as in dishpan hands.

(a) Avoid walking on affected feet.

(b) Pat dry; DO NOT rub. Skin tissue will be sensitive.

(c) Dry socks and shoes. Keep feet protected.

(d) Loosen boots, cuffs, etc., to improve circulation.

(e) Keep area dry, warm, and open to air.

(f) DO NOT apply creams or ointments.

Saltwater sores-

(a) Change body positions frequently.

(b) Keep sores dry.

(c) Use antiseptic (if available).

(d) DO NOT open or squeeze sores.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Cold Weather Injuries and Treatment

Cold injuries:

Hypothermia

Is a progressive injury. Intense shivering with impaired ability to perform complex tasks and leads to violent shivering, difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking, which leads to muscular rigidity with blue, puffy skin; jerky movements and ultimately leads to coma, respiratory and cardiac failure.

Protect victim from the environment as follows:

·Remove wet clothing.
·Put on dry clothing (if available).
·Prevent further heat loss.
·Cover top of head.
·Insulate from above and below.
·Warm with blankets, sleeping bags, or shelter.
·Warm central areas before extremities.
-Place heat packs in groin, armpits, and around neck.
·Avoid causing burns to skin.

CAUTION: Handle hypothermia victim gently. Avoid overly rapid rewarming which may cause cardiac arrest. Rewarming of victim with skin-to-skin contact by volunteer(s) inside of a sleeping bag is a survival technique but can cause internal temperatures of all to drop.

Frostbite-

Frostbite occurs when tissues freeze. This condition happens when you are exposed to temperatures below the freezing point of skin. Hypothermia is the condition of developing an abnormally low body temperature. Frostbite and hypothermia are both cold-related emergencies.

Although frostbite used to be a military problem, it is now a civilian one as well. The nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes (your extremities) are most commonly affected. Everyone is susceptible, even people who have been living in cold climates for most of their lives.

In conditions of prolonged cold exposure, your body sends signals to the blood vessels in your arms and legs telling them to constrict (narrow). By slowing blood flow to the skin, your body is able to send more blood to the vital organs, supplying them with critical nutrients, while also preventing a further decrease in internal body temperature by exposing less blood to the outside cold.

As this process continuous and your extremities (the parts farthest from your heart) become colder and colder, a condition called the hunter's response is initiated. Your blood vessels are dilated (widened) for a period of time and then constricted again. Periods of dilatation are cycled with times of constriction in order to preserve as much function in your extremities as possible.

However, when your brain senses that you are in danger of hypothermia (when your body temperature drops significantly below 98.6 F), it permanently constricts these blood vessels in order to prevent them from returning cold blood to the internal organs. When this happens, frostbite has begun. (source:Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD)

Frostbite Treatment

•Keep the affected body part elevated in order to reduce swelling

•Move to a warm area to prevent further heat loss. Avoid walking on frostbitten feet as this can lead to further damage.

•Note that many people with frostbite may be experiencing hypothermia. Saving their lives is more important than preserving a finger or foot.

•Remove all wet clothing and constrictive jewelry because they may further block blood flow.

•Give the person warm, nonalcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids to drink.

•Apply a dry, sterile bandage, place cotton between any involved fingers or toes (to prevent rubbing), and take the person to a medical facility as soon as possible.

•Never rewarm an affected area if there is any chance it may freeze again. This thaw-refreeze cycle is very harmful and leads to disastrous results.

•Also, avoid a gradual thaw either in the field or in the transport vehicle. The most effective method is to rewarm the area quickly. Therefore, keep the injured part away from sources of heat until you arrive at a treatment facility where proper rewarming can take place.

•Do not rub the frozen area with snow (or anything else). The friction created by this technique will only cause further tissue damage.

•Above all, keep in mind that the final amount of tissue destruction is proportional to the time it remains frozen, not to the absolute temperature to which it was exposed. Therefore, rapid transport to a hospital is very important.

Frost Nip-

First degree stage of frostbite-

This is called frost nip and this only affects the surface skin, which is frozen. On onset there is itching and pain, and then the skin develops white, red, and yellow patches and becomes numb. The area affected by frost nip usually does not become permanently damaged as only the skin's top layers are affected. Long-term sensitivity to both heat and cold can sometimes happen after suffering from frost nip.

Treatment-

If warm water is unavailable, place the affected body part against another body part that is warm. For instance, if the cheek is frost nipped, place a warm hand against it; if a finger is frost nipped, put it in a warm armpit.

If you try the heat-application method and the part doesn't warm within a few minutes, assume a more severe degree of frostbite and treat accordingly.

If warm water is available (104-108°F) strip the affected body part of all clothing and covering. Place the affected body part in the warm water until it is fully rewarmed - that is, all discoloration is gone, and the tissue is soft and pliable.

Seek medical assistance asap.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

Paracord Survival Belt- Type 1

Weave Design Using Snap Style Buckle

Molle Style Snap Buckles

Materials Needed:

Paracord  50 ft
Buckle
Lighter
Knife or Scissors
(4) Finishing nails 3" long
(1) Nail 4" or similar to hold paracord loops on opposite end of jig
Leatherman or Pliers
Hammer
Fork
(1) 1x4x50" board used as Jig
Patience

Steps:

1. Set up the jig. Watch the video for a visual on how the jig is set up. Basically, two nails hold the buckle (laid flat) at one end and two nails hold the one nail for the paracord at the other end. When hammering in the nails, don't put them in too deep. The reason for this is because as you weave the cordage through the 6 lines of paracord, the belt will tighten up making it hard to weave the cordage in and out of each string. You will have to remove two nails to shorten the belt. This is not problem if you are using the molle style buckles, because you are going to make an add on for the other end of the buckle snap. This will allow you to shorten or lengthen the belt later. If you are using the two pronged metal buckle you will need to do this:

The belt length will be the diameter around your waist plus one inch. Then you will need to add an additional 4-4 1/2", which is normally how much the belt length will shrink after you have weaved the paracord to the end.

2.  Add the paracord to the buckle and nails making three passes from buckle to nail. This will give you a total of 6 lines. I normally start with 30 feet of paracord. This is easier to work with. You can slice onto the end of the paracord by heating both ends and melting them together.

3. Starting at the buckle receiver end (the female part of the molle type buckle), begin weaving the end of the paracord over the top of one line and under the second line in a basket weave fashion. Watch the video on how the additional length is attached. Use the fork to push each row of weave together to make it compact.

Once the belt is completed, you will be wearing approximately 25-50 feet of emergency cordage, depending on the size of your waist.  You can also use this same technique to make rifle slings, straps for backpacks, etc. 

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie