Placing ice in which combination of areas helps cool the body fastest?

• A. Groin, behind neck, armpits and chest
• B. Head and neck only
• C. Arms and legs only
• D. Back and shoulders

Answer: (A)

Cooling the body fastest happens when you apply ice to areas with large surface area and major superficial blood vessels, because heat is carried by blood from the core to the skin where it can be removed by the ice. The groin, behind the neck, armpits, and chest combine both high blood flow and a wide skin area, so placing ice there pulls heat from the core quickly and returns cooler blood to circulate through the body. The other regions don’t offer the same combination of big surface area and near-surface vessels, so cooling is slower. (Always use a barrier between ice and skin to prevent frostbite.)