For active warming of a hypothermic casualty, which description matches the correct application?

For active warming of a hypothermic casualty, which description matches the correct application?

• A. The face
• B. The chest
• C. Cover the casualty completely, except the face
• D. The legs

Answer: (C)

Active warming aims to conserve heat and raise the casualty’s core temperature by insulating the body and adding warmth to the core, so covering the entire body with dry layers is best. Leaving the face exposed allows you to monitor breathing, airway status, and look for changes in skin color or overall condition while you apply warmth. This approach minimizes heat loss from the trunk and limbs, which drives effective rewarming, while still keeping the airway and face visible for safety checks. Other approaches that leave large areas uncovered or focus warmth only on a limb don’t optimize core warming and heat retention.

Active warming aims to conserve heat and raise the casualty’s core temperature by insulating the body and adding warmth to the core, so covering the entire body with dry layers is best. Leaving the face exposed allows you to monitor breathing, airway status, and look for changes in skin color or overall condition while you apply warmth. This approach minimizes heat loss from the trunk and limbs, which drives effective rewarming, while still keeping the airway and face visible for safety checks. Other approaches that leave large areas uncovered or focus warmth only on a limb don’t optimize core warming and heat retention.