Why is it recommended to take all the clothes off of a person who is going through shock?

[MrCurious]

When i was 11 years old in 1992, I was in the Boy Scouts, and I had to go to a First Aid Seminar with my Boy Scout Troop. IIRC, the instructor of the First Aid Seminar said that when a person is going into "shock" (whatever that means), one should strip the person who is going into shock completely naked. The instructor said something to this effect: "Now I know that it would be gross to strip someone completely naked. You might look at the person's genitals and think 'What is that?' But this is a person's life on the line, so one should strip the person going into shock naked anyway."

When the instructor said "You might look at the person's genitals and think 'what is that'", the instructor looked both scared and confused at the same time. I will remember this incident forever because it is the hardest I have ever laughed at anything in my life to this day. When I was a little kid, I thought that the idea of being both scared and confused at the sight of another person's genitals was hilarious. I was laughing so hard I was about to fall out of my chair and start rolling on the floor laughing. But nobody else thought it was funny, and everyone looked at me like I was a weirdo because I could not stop laughing.

At the time, I only cared about the humor in what he said. So I didn't ask the instructor why a person should strip a person going into shock completely naked. Looking back at 33 years later, I don't understand why one should strip a person going into shock butt naked. It doesn't make sense to me.

In first aid classes, why is it recommended to strip a person who is going into shock completely naked? How does stripping a person completely naked help a person who is going into shock?

 

[ffemt8978]

Think about it. Why are they going into shock? What if it's because of more than one reason, and you didn't find either the root cause or all the causes?

 

[MrCurious]

Think about it. Why are they going into shock? What if it's because of more than one reason, and you didn't find either the root cause or all the causes?

So stripping the person completely naked is for diagnostic purposes?

 

[CCCSD]

No. Strip and Flip is the dumbest thing that came out in EMS. A Pt in shock is already starting down the hypothermia drain. Unless they have injuries on every portion of their body, there is no need to strip. Look with your eyes and hands. And COVER them with a blanket immediately.

Hypothermia kills, even on a hot day.

Would you feel comfortable stripping a 73 year old female in the street because she broke her ankle?

 

[ffemt8978]

No. Strip and Flip is the dumbest thing that came out in EMS. A Pt in shock is already starting down the hypothermia drain. Unless they have injuries on every portion of their body, there is no need to strip. Look with your eyes and hands. And COVER them with a blanket immediately.

Hypothermia kills, even on a hot day.

Would you feel comfortable stripping a 73 year old female in the street because she broke her ankle?

While we've progressed past the strip and flip patients mentality, 33 years ago when this was presented to the OP we were still taught that. My response was directed towards the mentality of the time and the reasons behind it back then. Your response is the more appropriate for how we do it now

 

[CCCSD]

I was taught that in ‘84 during a PM in service. My partner and I didn’t agree with it then and never used it or taught it nor allowed our Interns to do it without a valid reason.

It was a classic example of “gee. This sounds good. Let’s make everyone do this without a valid reason or supporting data”.

Question stupid sounding ideas. Save some lives.

 

[MrCurious]

I was taught that in ‘84 during a PM in service. My partner and I didn’t agree with it then and never used it or taught it nor allowed our Interns to do it without a valid reason.

It was a classic example of “gee. This sounds good. Let’s make everyone do this without a valid reason or supporting data”.

Question stupid sounding ideas. Save some lives.

When I was 11 years old, it just did not occur to me to question it. But now at age 44, I thought "Why the heck would a person giving first aid want to strip the person going into shock naked?" It seems so weird to me.

 

[mgr22]

When i was 11 years old in 1992, I was in the Boy Scouts, and I had to go to a First Aid Seminar with my Boy Scout Troop. IIRC, the instructor of the First Aid Seminar said that when a person is going into "shock" (whatever that means), one should strip the person who is going into shock completely naked. The instructor said something to this effect: "Now I know that it would be gross to strip someone completely naked. You might look at the person's genitals and think 'What is that?' But this is a person's life on the line, so one should strip the person going into shock naked anyway."

Sounds like one reason the Boy Scouts had to change their name.

 

[MrCurious]

Could someone answer the question I asked in post #3 on this thread? The question of the OP has not been answered completely yet.

 

[MrCurious]

No. Strip and Flip is the dumbest thing that came out in EMS. A Pt in shock is already starting down the hypothermia drain. Unless they have injuries on every portion of their body, there is no need to strip. Look with your eyes and hands. And COVER them with a blanket immediately.

Hypothermia kills, even on a hot day.

Normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. If the temperature outside is hotter than 98.6 degrees fahrenheit, would there still be a need to cover the person going into shock with a blanket?

Would you feel comfortable stripping a 73 year old female in the street because she broke her ankle?

No. I wouldn't be comfortable stripping anyone naked in the street though.

Is it possible for a 73 year old female to go into shock just because she broke her ankle?

 

[mgr22]

Could someone answer the question I asked in post #3 on this thread? The question of the OP has not been answered completely yet.

CCSD answered your question. To build on that, shock means low perfusion possibly leading to hypothermia, not to mention cell death and organ failure. Covering a patient to preserve body heat would be much more appropriate than undressing that patient purely to treat shock. You might expose areas briefly to check for trauma as a separate but related step.

 

[MrCurious]

CCSD answered your question. To build on that, shock means low perfusion possibly leading to hypothermia, not to mention cell death and organ failure. Covering a patient to preserve body heat would be much more appropriate than undressing that patient purely to treat shock. You might expose areas briefly to check for trauma as a separate but related step.

I am not an EMT. I don't have any medical training or training in first aid except for a tiny bit of training that i did as a child in the Boy Scouts. The training on first aid that I received in the Boy Scouts is irrelevant now for two reasons: 1# I did not really pay much attention during the training I received in the Boy Scouts. I had zero interest at the time. I was only there because my parents made me go. 2# The training on first aid that i received in the Boy Scouts was all over 30 years ago, and i have forgotten what little i did learn in the Boy Scouts over the last 30 years.

In your experience, why do people usually go into shock? Do people usually go into shock because of injuries they sustain in some sort of accident (like a car wreck)? Or do people usually go into shock because of some sort of other medical problem that happens because of natural causes like a heart attack or a stroke?

 

[mgr22]

In your experience, why do people usually go into shock? Do people usually go into shock because of injuries they sustain in some sort of accident (like a car wreck)? Or do people usually go into shock because of some sort of other medical problem that happens because of natural causes like a heart attack or a stroke?

Shock can be caused by illness or trauma. I don't know of a reliable statistical breakdown since so many cases would be unreported. Yes, injuries from accidents can cause shock. Yes, heart attacks can cause shock. Anything that interferes with delivery of oxygen to tissue can cause shock.

 

[DrParasite]

So stripping the person completely naked is for diagnostic purposes?

your instructor was wrong.... hypothermia kills people in shock.

Now, if the logic was to strip them to look for a major wound or pooling internal bleeding, I could get in board with that; however, once you have completed your examination, cover them back up.

Also, someone with an isolated ankle injury is unlikely to be going into shock. So if you strip that person of all of their clothes, law enforcement is going to have some questions for you...

it looks like many of your questions are based on old information... if you complete a training course from this decade (even CPR and first aid), you will likely find the answers to many of your questions.

 

[MrCurious]

your instructor was wrong.... hypothermia kills people in shock.

Now, if the logic was to strip them to look for a major wound or pooling internal bleeding, I could get in board with that; however, once you have completed your examination, cover them back up.

Also, someone with an isolated ankle injury is unlikely to be going into shock. So if you strip that person of all of their clothes, law enforcement is going to have some questions for you...

it looks like many of your questions are based on old information...

Yeah. I was in the Boy Scouts over 30 years ago.

The Boy Scouts really love to emphasize two things: first aid and knots. I remember endlessly hearing about the first aid to give for a person going into shock ad nauseam, but I don't remember the Boy Scouts ever even telling the scouts what "going into shock" even means. I didn't know until after i created this thread that if a person is going into shock, that means a person is not getting blood flow to all the tissues in his or her body. I don't think that the Boy Scouts ever even defined what going into shock is.

if you complete a training course from this decade (even CPR and first aid), you will likely find the answers to many of your questions.

I am thinking about going to EMT school.

 

[akflightmedic]

The real question is...did said "Boy Scout Leader" then conduct practice scenarios...?

 

[DrParasite]

Yeah. I was in the Boy Scouts over 30 years ago.

The Boy Scouts really love to emphasize two things: first aid and knots. I remember endlessly hearing about the first aid to give for a person going into shock ad nauseam, but I don't remember the Boy Scouts ever even telling the scouts what "going into shock" even means. I didn't know until after i created this thread that if a person is going into shock, that means a person is not getting blood flow to all the tissues in his or her body. I don't think that the Boy Scouts ever even defined what going into shock is.

I was in it.... 30 or so years ago too. knots were great; i use many of them daily on my technical rescue team. First aid was not to bad, esp when you needed to improvise equipment. Not only that, but many clinical teachings have changed since the 90s

I am thinking about going to EMT school.

EMT school is great, but it's a 3-6 month commitment; basic first aid can be completed in a weekend, and is much cheaper.

if you like the first aid class, you can take the next step and register for EMT class (many programs will want a valid CPR card first).

 

[johnrsemt]

For bad trauma patients we still strip (usually with trauma shears) pretty close to naked; because some injuries don't bleed alot and don't bleed through pants all the time. Found a open femur fracture a few weeks ago after an ATV crash, that had no blood on outside of pants.
But you cut fast and cover with blankets.

Yes a simple ankle fracture could cause someone to go into shock due to the pain; especially as people get older.
Plus older people don't maintain body heat well, wait till you get into EMS and go into houses that the temperature is set at 80 (my sister is 70 years old and her house is set at 76).

Boy Scout Training for First Aid was good, but kind of 1 size fits everyone. Interesting thing when I was a Scout we were taught for bleeding pressure and tourniquets. Wasn't taught that in EMT-B school, Pressure, more pressure, elevation, pressure points: tourniquets was last resort. Now they are pretty much 1st resort. People would die while you were wasting time with the rest of things