Where should you place ice packs on a heat emergency patient?

• A. Side of the neck
• B. Groin
• C. Armpits
• D. Cheeks

Answer: (C)

When cooling someone with a heat emergency, aim at areas where heat can be removed quickly by contacting blood near large surface vessels. The armpit region is ideal because the axillary vessels lie close to the skin and provide rapid heat exchange as cold packs are applied. Wrapping ice packs in cloth to protect the skin and placing them under both arms helps lower core temperature efficiently and safely. The other sites listed don’t afford as reliable or practical cooling in a typical first-aid setting, and areas like the cheeks or side of the neck are more uncomfortable and carry a higher risk of frostbite or overcooling sensitive structures.