COLD COMPRESS

COLD COMPRESS (Cold Application) – Definition, Purpose, General Instructions, Preliminary Assessment Check, Effects, Physiologic Effects, Indications, Preparation of the Patient and Environment, Equipment, Procedure, After Care and Contraindications

Updated 2024

Cold compress is a local moist cold moist application made out of folded layers of gauze, lint piece or old soften linen, wring out of cold or ice water or in some evaporating lotion.

DEFINITION

A cloth wrung from cold or ice water which may be applied to any part of the body.

PURPOSE

To provide comfort
To reduce body temperature
To reduce inflammation and edema
To relieve pain, burning sensation and irritation
To anesthetize for short time
To control hemorrhage
To inhibit bacterial growth and thus prevent suppuration

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Application of cold compress over the skin helps in conduction of heat
Cold application beyond 20 minutes leads to secondary effects
Check the temperature every 15 minutes, it helps in detection of any variations in the body temperature

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT CHECK

The doctor order for any specific instruction
General condition and diagnosis of the patient
Self-care ability of the patient
Assess for the need of cold applications
Frequency and duration of application
For any contraindication of cold application
Articles available in the unit

EFFECTS

To prevent the depression that often occurs following heating treatments. The most effective form of cold compress is a small towel wrapped around the head like a turban during the treatment. The same receptors, or special nerve endings, which serve to convey stimuli to the blood vessels and nerve endings, hence to all the organs reflex connected with them, are affected as much by cold applications as by hot. The more intense is the stimulation, the greater the reaction.

PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS

To decrease blood flow locally and distally
To prevent and relieve congestion
For relief of pain due to edema and/or trauma
If applied over the heart: will slow the heart rate, increase the force and raise the arterial blood pressure
To increase the reflect effect of thermal applications by increasing the difference between hot and cold; an example is using the cold compress following a fomentation.

INDICATIONS

Throbbing pain due to edema or trauma, such as sprains
Fevers
Congestion in the face and head-sinusitis and head-ache (use with a hot foot bath)
As a precordial compress in tachycardia-fast heartbeat (more than 100 beats/min)
May be applied as a turban to the head or cravat to the neck with general applications of heat
Headache-apply cold compress to head while using a hot foot bath
Passive chest congestion in lung problems, together with fomentations

PREPARATION OF THE PATIENT AND ENVIRONMENT