Safe heat in hospital — Well Asked

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Comfort and care

Safe heat in hospital

A warm hot water bottle or heat pack can be a real comfort for someone who is cold in hospital, and a kind gesture from family. These tips help you offer warmth safely.

General information, not personal medical advice. Always check with the treating team first.

Check with the treating team first

Ask the nurse or treating team if heat is okay, especially with diabetes, numb or poor circulation, a stroke or spinal injury, dementia, or sedating medicines
Ask what the ward allows. Many wards can supply an approved warm pack, and personal heating devices may not be permitted
Remember that older, thinner skin burns more easily, and a burn can build without pain

Keep the warmth gentle

Aim for comfortably warm, never hot, and wrap the pack in a cover or towel so it never touches bare skin
Rest it over a blanket near the feet or lap, for no more than 20 minutes on any one spot
Check the skin now and then, and take the pack away if the person is drowsy or falling asleep
Never leave one tucked in the bed or under the blankets with someone who can’t tell you it is too hot

A few details by type

Hot water bottle: fill with hot tap water (never boiling), use a cover, and replace it every winter or if it looks cracked
Wheat bag or microwave pack: follow the label’s heating time, let it cool fully before reheating, and look for AS/NZS 5116:2016 on wheat bags
Electric blanket or pad: only with the ward’s okay, switched off before sleep, and checked for recalls at productsafety.gov.au

If the skin looks red or sore: take the heat away, cool the area under cool running water for 20 minutes, and tell the nurse.

References

Product Safety Australia (ACCC). Hot water bottles: the hidden dangers.
Product Safety Australia (ACCC). Wheat bag fire hazards.
Queensland Government. Staying safe in winter.
Alfred Health. Experts warn of hot water bottle danger.
Consumers' Federation of Australia. New heat pack standard improves safety (AS/NZS 5116:2016).
NSW Fair Trading. Electric hot water bottle recall.

Well Asked

General information only, not personal medical advice. In an emergency, call 000.

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