You are one of the paramedics staffing the rehabilitation section at a hazardous materials incident when a hazardous materials technician brings you one of his coworkers, whose mental status is altered. According to the technician, his coworker was appropriately decontaminated in the warm zone. The patient's skin is hot and moist, and he is confused and nauseated. You should:
A) administer oxygen via nasal cannula, take his blood pressure, and offer him cold water to drink.
B) administer oxygen, start an IV line, administer 2 L of cold normal saline rapidly, and prepare for transport.
C) first contact the incident commander and confirm that the patient has indeed been decontaminated.
D) suspect that he is suffering from heatstroke, administer high-flow oxygen, and begin rapid cooling measures.
Answer: D) suspect that he is suffering from heatstroke, administer high-flow oxygen, and begin rapid cooling measures.
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