Iv therapy in artic conditions..yeah or neah?

CanadianMedic

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I will shortly be leaving for the Canadian artic and will be attached to a company as their medic. We will be in average -50C on a 5 day expedition, obviously hypothermia and frostbite will be an issue, but I am trying to explain to our Physician Assistant that Iv therapy shouldn't be initiated since I have no Iv warmers and no hard/heated shelters to start an IV. Where can I find literature that would support what I'm trying to say? Thanks
 
You can tape a warm pack to the side of the fluid after having it inside your jacket. This is how it was done on a Nepal Expedition I was on, IV therapy at 18,000ft and sub zero temperatures can be done. Head lamps work fine for light and a piece of wire around a tent pole to hang the bag. Another option was warming the saline bag in a pot of warm water.

Not saying it's a good or bad idea to carry fluid in those temps, just that from my experience (not in -50 but well below zero) it can be done.
 
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