| Wilderness Medicine |
In the context of emergencies, we should presume that the ambulance is hours from arriving,
or "Can you even make that phone call?". This is a very real possibility when an injury
occurs on a backcountry trail, and someone may well have to walk out to get help or the
patient may have to be carried out.
Wilderness medicine also includes such matters as
environmental injury from cold, heat, or high altitude, the effects of toxic plants and animals,
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It's one of the simulation
while I was attending
a Wilderness First Responder
class in Oct 2000
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sun & fire burns, laceration and broken bones. By necessity, wilderness medicine also
includes the basics of rescue and transport in backcountry settings.
Obviously not all of us will take a widlerness first-aid class before we go into the backcountry.
However I strongly recommend you to attend one. There are many providers such as St. John Ambulance,
YMCA and Red Cross that run first aid classes year-round.
Most people will think that, "I have a
first aid kit, I just have to bring it on the trip, and I'll be fine." Certainly you can stuff a
top-notch boomproof first aid kit in your backpack, but ask yourself, "Do you know what is in there?"
or "Do you know what this little tube is for?".
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Splinting every part of
the body, using limited
improvised camping
equipment
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The importance of taking a first aid class is to familiarize yourself with different treatments
for different injuries, so that you can do the right thing to help the injured person.
There are many treatments taught in a first aid class that do not require a first aid kit on your
side. Another typical objective of a first aid class is to promote safety and to prevent injuries
from happening in the first place.
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Monitoring patient while
waiting for transport.
Patient was put into a
hypothermia wrap
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Besides taking classes or reading a first aid book, do some practices at home. Knowing how to
use the tools correctly sometimes take much longer than you expect.
Once you feel comfortable
about your own first aid skills, perhaps you can personalize your first aid kit, replenish your
supplies, or even remove something you'll never use and add new stuff to it.
After all, it is always SAFETY first.
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;)
;)
;)