Cool skin that is moist is referred to as cool and clammy. it is often related to:

When temperatures rise in Austin, you need to know how to prevent and respond to heat related illnesses.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Heat Exhaustion
Heat Stroke
Preventing Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Common causes
More serious conditions
Which of the following methods of determining blood pressure is determined by feeling the changes in a patient's pulse?
When determining the mental status during the primary assessment what is typically determined first in the patient?
When you are treating a patient who is unstable you should assess the patient's condition at least once every how many minutes?
What is the highest numerical value that is assigned to eye opening when computing the GCS?

Being exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time or engaging in vigorous activities in high temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially if you are dehydrated or are taking certain medications such as antihistamines, blood pressure medication, or antidepressants.

Usually sweat evaporates from the skin to help cool the body. It is harder for sweat to evaporate if:

The humidity is high
You are wearing tight or layered clothing that covers most of your skin
You are dehydrated, which will cause you to produce less sweat

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a less serious condition than heat stroke. Symptoms can include:

Normal or only slightly elevated body temperature
Cool, moist (clammy), pale skin
Sweating (sometimes heavily)
Headache
Nausea/vomiting
Dizziness/weakness/fatigue
Rapid pulse
Decreased blood pressure
Dark urine
Muscle cramps
Rapid/shallow breathing

To respond to heat exhaustion:

Move into the shade or an air conditioned space.
Loosen clothing or remove as much clothing as possible.
Drink cool water or non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages like sports drinks to help restore electrolyte balance.
Take a cool shower or sponge bath.
Spray cool water on yourself and sit in front of a fan or have others fan you.
Massage or stretch cramping muscles.
Monitor your temperature for changes in your condition that suggest heat stroke (see below).
Call the UHS UHS Nurse Advice Line at (512) 475-6877 if you have questions.
Seek emergency treatment or call 911 if attempts to decrease body temperature fail or if you experience chest pain, abdominal pain, persistent vomiting so that you can't keep down fluids, or if you develop any of the symptoms of heat stroke (see below).

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is an emergency situation in which the body loses its ability to cool itself. The internal body temperature rises to extremes, sometimes as high as 106 degrees F. Heat stroke can result in death if not treated promptly. Symptoms include:

Very high body temperature, usually over 104 degrees F
No sweating
Hot, dry, red skin
Rapid pulse
Difficulty breathing

If body temperatures aren't reduced, symptoms can progress to:

Confusion, irritability, disorientation, or hallucinations
Seizures
Loss of consciousness and coma
Death

To respond to heat stroke, CALL 911 or go to the closest emergency room. While waiting for EMS:

Move the person into the shade or into air conditioning.
Elevate their feet higher than their head to reduce the chance of shock.
Remove clothing and attempt to cool them down by wrapping them in a cool, wet sheet or spraying them with cool water and fanning them.
Put ice packs or cold compresses under their arms, on their groin area, and behind their neck.
Give them cool drinks only if tthey are not disoriented and not vomiting.
Stay with them until EMS arrives.

Preventing Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

Stay hydrated by drinking lots of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages, even if you're not thirsty. Water is good, but sports drinks are better if you are engaging in vigorous activity in high temperatures. For more information on hydration, click here.

Drink enough to keep your urine very pale yellow. If it's a dark yellow, or if you are going for long periods of time without urinating, you're dehydrated. (Some medications and supplements can turn urine bright yellow or orange. If in doubt, ask a pharmacist or your healthcare provider about the medications and supplements you use.)
Don't stay outside in high temperatures for long periods of time. Take breaks indoors.
Don't engage in vigorous activity in the hottest part of the day - from 11am - 5pm.
Wear loose, lightweight clothing made of fabric that breathes and allows your sweat to evaporate.
If you start to feel very hot or have any of the symptoms of heat exhaustion, respond immediately as described above under "heat exhaustion."

Clammy skin

Clammy skin refers to wet or sweaty skin. Sweating is your body’s normal response to overheating. The moisture of sweat has a cooling effect on your skin.

Changes in your body from physical exertion or extreme heat can trigger your sweat glands and cause your skin to become clammy. This is normal. However, clammy skin that occurs for no apparent reason can be the sign of a serious medical condition.

Clammy skin that isn’t a result of physical exertion or a reaction to hot weather can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition. Don’t ignore this symptom. You should always report it to your doctor. In order to relieve clammy skin, the underlying cause must be discovered and treated.

Common causes

Clammy skin can be a symptom of several conditions, such as a kidney infection or the flu. Other common causes of clammy skin include:

panic attacks
low blood sugar
an overactive thyroid gland
hyperhidrosis, which is excessive sweating
menopause
alcohol withdrawal syndrome

More serious conditions

Clammy skin can also be a sign of a more serious health condition. These include:

hypotension, which is low blood pressure
internal bleeding
heat exhaustion

Clammy skin can also be one of the symptoms associated with a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks one of your coronary arteries. Coronary arteries take blood and oxygen to your heart muscle. If your heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood or oxygen, your heart muscle cells will die and your heart won’t work the way it should. Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you believe you’re having a heart attack.

Shock

Another possible cause of clammy skin is shock. Shock is commonly thought of as the response to emotional distress, or a sudden fright in response to a traumatic event. However, in medical terms, it occurs when you don’t have enough blood circulating in your body. Shock is your body’s response to a sudden drop in blood pressure.

A few possible causes of shock include:

uncontrolled bleeding from a wound/injury
internal bleeding
a severe burn covering a large area of the body
a spinal injury

Clammy skin is one of the common symptoms of shock. Shock can be a deadly condition if it isn’t treated immediately. Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you believe you’re going into shock.

You should call a healthcare provider right away if you experience any of the following symptoms in addition to clammy skin:

pale skin
moist skin
pain in the chest, abdomen, or back
pain in the limbs
rapid heart beat
shallow breathing
weak pulse
altered thinking ability
persistent vomiting, especially if there’s blood in the vomit

Call your healthcare provider or go to the emergency department if these symptoms don’t quickly go away.

Clammy skin that’s accompanied by certain symptoms might be the result of a severe allergic reaction. You should call 911 or go to an emergency room right away if you experience any of the following symptoms along with clammy skin:

hives or skin rash
trouble breathing
facial swelling
swelling in the mouth
swelling in the throat
shortness of breath
rapid, weak pulse
nausea and vomiting
loss of consciousness

Clammy skin can also be a symptom of shock. Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you believe you’re going into shock. Symptoms of shock can include:

anxiety
chest pain
blue fingernails and lips
low or no urine output
rapid pulse
weak pulse
shallow breathing
unconsciousness
dizziness
lightheadedness
confusion
pale, cool, clammy skin
profuse sweating or moist skin

Chest pain is the most common sign of a heart attack, but some people have little or no chest pain. Women often chalk up the “discomfort” of a heart attack to less life-threatening conditions, as they tend to put their families first and ignore symptoms.

Pain from a heart attack can last more than 20 minutes. It can be severe or mild. Clammy skin can also be one of the signs of a heart attack. Certain other symptoms can also indicate a heart attack. You should call 911 or go to an emergency room right away if you experience any of the following symptoms along with clammy skin:

anxiety
cough
fainting
lightheadedness
dizziness
nausea
vomiting
heart palpitations or a feeling like your heart is beating too fast or irregularly
shortness of breath
sweating, which can be very heavy
radiating arm pain and numbness, usually in the left arm

If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, you should seek emergency medical care through a local hospital. For follow-up care and condition management, you can connect to a primary care doctor in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.

To determine the cause of your clammy skin, your healthcare provider will go over both your medical history and that of your family. They may also ask you questions about your eating habits and daily activities.

If your doctor suspects that your clammy skin is due to a heart problem, they’ll test your heart’s rhythm through an electrocardiogram test (EKG). Your healthcare provider will connect small electrodes to your skin. These are connected to a machine that can read your heart rhythm.

Your healthcare provider may also take a small sample of your blood, or order lab tests, to test your hormone levels and check for signs of infection.

Treatment for clammy skin depends on its underlying cause. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are both treated by rehydrating with fluids using an intravenous (IV) line. You may need to stay in a hospital during your treatment if you have heat exhaustion and symptoms of shock.

You’ll need immediate medical attention if a life-threatening condition, such as shock or a heart attack, is causing your clammy skin.

For a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, you’ll need a medication called epinephrine to counteract your allergic reaction. Epinephrine is a type of adrenaline that stops your body’s reaction to the allergen that’s causing your symptoms.

Clammy skin caused by hormonal imbalances from menopause or andropause (male menopause), can be treated with replacement hormone medication. This medication is only available by prescription.

Above all, you should listen to your body. You should contact your healthcare provider if you’re sweating profusely or suffering from clammy skin. Your healthcare provider can run or order the necessary tests to find out what’s causing your clammy skin, and help you get to the root of the problem.

Which of the following methods of determining blood pressure is determined by feeling the changes in a patient's pulse?

Palpatory method - Inflate the cuff rapidly to 70 mmHg, and increase by 10 mm Hg increments while palpating the radial pulse. Note the level of pressure at which the pulse disappears and subsequently reappears during deflation will be systolic blood pressure.

When determining the mental status during the primary assessment what is typically determined first in the patient?

Mental status examination evaluates different areas of cognitive function. The examiner must first establish that patients are attentive—eg, by assessing their level of attention while the history is taken or by asking them to immediately repeat 3 words. Testing an inattentive patient further is not useful.

When you are treating a patient who is unstable you should assess the patient's condition at least once every how many minutes?

patient and every 5 minutes for the unstable patient.

What is the highest numerical value that is assigned to eye opening when computing the GCS?

Eye opening - maximum score of 4 A GCS of 8 or less indicates severe injury, one of 9-12 moderate injury, and a GCS score of 13-15 is obtained when the injury is minor.