What is the appropriate basic management step for a patient who is hypothermic and wet?

• A. Submerge in warm water
• B. Remove wet clothing and perform passive rewarming
• C. Apply ice packs
• D. Use vigorous rubbing

Answer: (B)

Removing wet clothing and starting passive rewarming is the appropriate basic step because wet clothes drive heat loss. Evaporation and conduction from a wet surface rapidly strip heat from the body, so drying the person and insulating them with dry clothes or blankets helps conserve core heat. Passive rewarming means using the person’s own warmth and ambient insulation, without applying external heat sources that can cause rapid, uneven warming or complications.

Avoid submerging in warm water, applying ice packs, or rubbing vigorously. Submersion in warm water can trigger rapid or uneven warming and stresses the heart; ice packs and vigorous rubbing can cause tissue damage or cardiac rhythm problems. If available and indicated, progressing to active external warming or other advanced rewarming steps can follow, but the first and most appropriate action is removing wet clothing and implementing passive rewarming.