Heat, cold and poisoning
Heat, cold and poisoning: a chapter of the First Aid Book, with the steps that help in the first minutes of an emergency.
11 cards · Science
Each Zap teaches up to 5 new cards, so you learn the chapter a few at a time.
Checked by the Brain Zap team · reviewed 27 Oct 2026
Sources: First aid (NHS), First aid advice (British Red Cross), European Resuscitation Council guidelines
Preview
Hot, confused, no longer sweating: likely…
Show answerHide answer: Hot, confused, no longer sweating: likely…
Heatstroke
Learn more: Call the emergency number, move them somewhere cool and cool them fast with water and fanning.
Body temperature that marks heatstroke
Show answerHide answer: Body temperature that marks heatstroke
40 °C or more
Learn more: At this point the body can no longer cool itself: call the emergency number.
Heat exhaustion: move them somewhere cool and…
Show answerHide answer: Heat exhaustion: move them somewhere cool and…
Give them water
Learn more: Lay them down, raise their feet a little and cool their skin; they should feel better within 30 minutes.
Body temperature below 35 °C
Show answerHide answer: Body temperature below 35 °C
Hypothermia
Learn more: Warm them slowly with shelter, dry clothes, blankets and warm drinks; call for help if it's severe.
Never warm someone with hypothermia using…
Show answerHide answer: Never warm someone with hypothermia using…
A hot bath
Learn more: Rapid warming can upset the heart; warm the body slowly, centre first, with blankets and warm drinks.
About this topic
Heat, cold and poisons harm people every year, often at home or outdoors. Heat exhaustion can turn into heatstroke, an emergency; hypothermia and frostbite need slow, gentle warming. Swallowed poisons and carbon monoxide need help from professionals, fast. This chapter follows current NHS and British Red Cross advice on what to do first, and on the common mistakes, such as hot baths for hypothermia or making someone vomit, that can make things worse.
This is a chapter of the First Aid Book. It is no substitute for a first aid course: whenever in doubt, call the emergency number. Each card asks one question, with a hint before you answer and a short reason after.
All 11 cards
Hot, confused, no longer sweating: likely…
Heatstroke
Learn more: Call the emergency number, move them somewhere cool and cool them fast with water and fanning.
Body temperature that marks heatstroke
40 °C or more
Learn more: At this point the body can no longer cool itself: call the emergency number.
Heat exhaustion: move them somewhere cool and…
Give them water
Learn more: Lay them down, raise their feet a little and cool their skin; they should feel better within 30 minutes.
Body temperature below 35 °C
Hypothermia
Learn more: Warm them slowly with shelter, dry clothes, blankets and warm drinks; call for help if it's severe.
Never warm someone with hypothermia using…
A hot bath
Learn more: Rapid warming can upset the heart; warm the body slowly, centre first, with blankets and warm drinks.
Frozen skin and tissue, often fingers and toes
Frostbite
Learn more: Warm it gently in warm, not hot, water; never rub it, and don't rewarm it if it may freeze again.
Swallowed poison: should you make them vomit?
No
Learn more: Vomiting can burn the throat again or get into the lungs. Call the emergency number or a poison centre instead.
Swallowed poison: what to take to the doctor
The container or label
Learn more: Knowing the exact product, and how much, helps doctors treat it fast.
Odourless gas from faulty boilers that poisons
Carbon monoxide
Learn more: It causes headache, dizziness and sleepiness; get everyone into fresh air and call the emergency number.
Very drunk and unconscious but breathing: put them in…
The recovery position
Learn more: Stay with them, check their breathing and call the emergency number; never let them sleep it off alone.
After a snake bite, keep the bitten limb…
Still
Learn more: Keep calm and still, take off rings and watches, and call the emergency number. Never cut, suck or tie the wound.
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