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A Perfect Storm - Lessons Learned from Hurricane Irene & Tropical Storm Lee
This year took me by surprise, as I know it did for many of my colleagues and it was all about water. First came Hurricane Irene and then Tropical Storm Lee. Each September the Outdoor Action Program...
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Comparing New Agents Used to Control Bleeding
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.Once of the major recent advances in trauma care has been the evolution of topical substances that can be applied to wounds in order to limit or stop hemorrhage (bleeding). This...
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Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.As most of you know, I am sometimes sent outdoor health equipment and supplies to evaluate. I’ve recently received a few items worthy of mention. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration...
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Stinging Nettles
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.Hikers often brush up against injurious plants, such as poison oak or thorny shrubs. One particularly vexing plant is the “ubiquitous weed, Urtica dioica,” commonly known as...
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Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Frostbite
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.Led by Scott McIntosh, MD and his colleagues, the Wilderness Medical Society has published "Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Frostbite" (Wild Environ Med...
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Ski Helmets and Reaction Time
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.Ski season is upon us. Many experts (including myself) are of the opinion that helmets should be worn by all downhill skiers and snowboarders to help prevent head injuries. One of...
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Epinephrine for Out-of-Hospital Treatment of Anaphylaxis
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.For management of a serious (even life-threatening) allergic reaction, I have been teaching adults to administer epinephrine (adrenaline) by injection for years. This can be a...
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Wilderness Medicine - 6th Edition released
I want to let everyone know about the release of the 6th Edition of Wilderness Medicine, the premiere textbook on the subject, edited by our frequent contributor Dr. Paul Auerbach. There are not too...
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Lightning Safety Awareness
by Paul AuerbachThis post relates information learned in a recent issue (Volume 22, Number 3, 2011) of the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, published by the Wilderness Medical Society....
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Skier Intentionally Triggers Huge Avalanche in Teton Backcountry
I just got back from skiing at Jackson Hole last week. Like much of the west the snow pack has been really low all winter. Jackson Hole only had a 44 inch (old) base when I arrived. Starting with the...
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'Brain Buckets' - A Climber's Best Friend?
I am dating myself, but when I started rock climbing, almost everyone wore helmets. It was as essential a piece of gear as your harness and shoes. But in the decades that followed, helmets became...
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Risk-taking Behavior and Helmet Use in Skiers
by Paul Auerbach, M.D.The general consensus in the medical community regarding helmet use and skiing (also snowboarding) is that helmets should be worn to prevent or lessen head injuries related to...
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Ibuprofen and Altitude Illness
I've been receiving emails about the recent online publication of a study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine titled“Ibuprofen Prevents Altitude Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial for Prevention of...
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Classroom Medicine
I recently sat through a wilderness medicine class by a well-meaning instructor who, despite decent credentials, had never cared for anyone in the wilderness. This is just after reading a poorly...
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Probiotics and Acute Infectious Diarrhea
by Paul AuerbachProbiotics are live microorganisms that are purposefully ingested by humans to improve their health—the thought is that probiotics improve “digestive health.” The specific...
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Support for Ankle Sprains
by Paul AuerbachSprained ankles are the bane of existence for hikers, trekker, and joggers—indeed for most athletes or anyone who has the opportunity to twist a foot on an uneven service, stepping over...
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Hand Injuries Not to Miss
by Paul AuerbachHand injuries are common in outdoor enthusiasts. Some of these injuries are easy to diagnose, and others are more difficult, usually because the signs and symptoms are subtle or because...
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Does your Program Have a Road Crossing Protocol? Should it?
What’s the most dangerous thing that your outdoor program does?The answer: Vehicles. Driving is statistically the most dangerous activity for any outdoor program. Because vehicular accidents can be so...
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Treating Rattlesnake Bites in the Field
by Paul AuerbachThere are two excellent photographs of a rattlesnake bite victim that appear in the June 10, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (362;23:2212). Entitled “Rattlesnake...
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Treating Severe Heatstroke with an External Cooling System
by Paul AuerbachHeatstroke is a life-threatening emergency. Therapeutic cooling measures need to be undertaken rapidly in order to prevent the catastrophic organ failure associated with markedly...
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When to Use Tourniquets
Re-posted with permission from Wilderness Medical Associates International.I am not sure that there is a consensus about their use but here is my opinion about tourniquets in remote and hostile...
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Building a Wilderness First Aid Kit
Re-posted with permission from Wilderness Medical Associates International.Walking through the first aid aisle at your local outfitter store can be overwhelming. While there are many excellent prepared...
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Wilderness First Aid Retention Study
Wilderness First Aid (WFA) courses are taught by multiple individuals and programs. They have become a standard for people working and recreating in the outdoors. Are they effective? Can the...
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Hantavirus in Yosemite National Park
by Paul AuerbachOur National Parks are a treasured heritage, and one of the ways in which we appreciate the outdoors. Millions of visitors flock to the parks in order to camp, hike, climb, swim and...
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WFA Scope of Practice Document Update
The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course, widely taught by numerous providers, can be burdened with unrealistic expectations of the topics and skills that can be taught in a basic layperson first aid...
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