What is the first step in rewarming a person?

The first step in rewarming a person who is experiencing hypothermia is to prevent further heat loss. This is crucial because if the individual continues to lose heat, any rewarming efforts that follow may be ineffective. To prevent further heat loss, it is important to remove any wet clothing, provide insulation with blankets or warm clothing, and minimize exposure to cold environments.

Ensuring that the person is shielded from wind or moisture also enhances their ability to retain body heat, which is vital for their recovery. Once heat loss is adequately addressed, additional methods of rewarming, such as using heating pads or providing warm fluids, can be implemented effectively without competing against the body’s natural processes for maintaining temperature.