Health care assistants are sometimes delegated tasks (DOT) by the RN. One such task that you may be asked to assist with is the application of hot and cold therapies. Hot and cold applications can help your clients’ healing and comfort when injury occurs. Therefore, it is important to understand how to use these therapies and to ensure you can support clients and monitor for complications.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, the successful student will be able to:
- Understand the concepts of hot and cold applications.
- Describe the guidelines in the application of heat and cold.
- List the physical conditions requiring the use of heat and cold.
- Name the types of heat and cold applications.
- Describe the effects of local hot and cold applications.
- List safety concerns related to application of heat and cold.
Terms to Know
aquathermia pad is a pad with tubes inside where water flow in and out of a heating/cooling unit.
A type of dry cold application. It is a pack filled with cold fluid. Cold packs may be cooled by keeping them in the freezer, by striking or squeezing them to activate chemicals, or placing ice into bag or glove
a warm or cold cloth or pad used therapeutically to treat injury.
Also called a tensor bandage, is a stretchable cloth used to wrap around a sprain or strain to reduce swelling resulting from injury.
to become enlarged, widened to open up blood flow
to narrow the diameter of a blood vessel
when the core body temperature drops below 35°C.
when the core body temperature is excessively higher than normal.
A type of moist heat application. The pelvic, perineal, and rectal areas of the body are placed in hot water.
