Massive bleeding leads to hypothermia and, in turn, hypothermia leads to MORE bleeding because the blood cannot clot when the casualty is cold. This can occur even in hot environments. You must break this vicious cycle!

It is important to identify the signs of hypothermia. Some easily recognizable signs of hypothermia are: slurred speech or mumbling, slow breathing and drowsiness, and shivering.

This is not hypothermia due to cold weather, but you can prevent it by:

- Keep clothing/uniform on the casualty
- Replace extremely wet clothing if possible and keep the casualty dry
- Keep the casualty off the ground by placing a barrier between the casualty and the ground … or lifting them off the ground, if possible. NOTE: Contact with the ground increases loss of body heat
- Use dry blankets, poncho liners, sleeping bags, or anything that will retain heat
- Minimize the casualty’s exposure to the environment