You find an elderly patient who is unconscious and appears in poor condition. The patient was last seen three days ago. The house is hot as the area has been experiencing a heat wave with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees for the past two weeks. The patient is hot, dry, and breathing deeply and rapidly. Pulses are present and are full and bounding. Your immediate attention should be directed

to:

A) immediate cooling to reduce body core temp.
B) gentle cooling to avoid hypothermia.
C) insertion of a supraglottic airway.
D) administering saline to combat the electrolyte loss.

Answer: A