Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine

   One of the RMI instructors has decided to enrol into the Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine offered by the Wilderness Medical Society. This award is offered for medical professionals who wish to validate their training and experience in Wilderness Medicine.
   The award is primarily designed for doctors but is open for the motivated medic or nurse. Since it is research based and requires academic achievement is more difficult for non physicians to achieve.

RTE filming improvised stretchers

   Over the past couple of weeks, Aebhric has been filming for the RTE kids programme Elev8. One of the 3.5 minute episodes was on how to make a stretcher in the wilderness. We had six kids ages around 10-12 who were broken down into two teams of three.
   My challenge for them was to build an improvised litter or stretcher out of wood harvested from the wilderness.

Be Here Now

  There are many approaches to survival and wilderness psychology. It is important to have the skills and dirt time to deal with emergencies in remote settings.

   The ability to accept and internalize the realities that you are lost or in danger is the first step to survival. Acknowledging the fact that you are lost, unable to return to safety, or simply in a rough situation is rarely done quickly. People tend to refuse the realities of a harsh situation.

56 Uses for a triangular bandage

-Simple bandage of small wounds
-Wound packing
-Tie a splint to an extremity
-Secure a pressure dressing
-Sling and swath for orthopaedic injuries
-Secure and dress an abdominal evisceration
-Secure an IV bag to the casualty

Common Wilderness Diseases

Infectious disease is a rapidly evolving field; new viral agents are continually being identified, and the geographic ranges of known viruses continue to evolve (Berger et al, 2003.) As recent experiences with West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Avian flu dramatically illustrate, people in any setting may be called on to consider infectious entities from any part of the globe due to shifts in geographic disease distribution, travel-related imported infections, or even potentially intentional releases of exotic viruses. The recent crisis of avian flu shows the importance of knowledge of infectious diseases for anyone  working in a wilderness setting.

Few diseases frequent a wilderness excursion. However, these ailments have common occurrences in the  wilderness. They are Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Giardia, Lyme’s Disease, and finally Tularemia. This list is by no means comprehensive. The outdoor enthusiast should research what diseases and vectors are prevalent in the area where they are hiking.

Medical Kits

   Whether you are in the woods or in town it is important to have medical training 
and a good medical kit available.

   During our Basic Bushcraft course we discuss how important it is to always have a small survival tin with you at all times. You can make them small enough that you forget about it somewhere in one of your pockets. You should have one of these kits in every jacket, jumper, and coat that you own.
   The same preparation is important with a medical kit. You don't need a large kit containing massive trauma supplies. Put a few plasters, tablets, steristrips and an alcohol wipes into your bushcraft kit or a separate medical kit.

Collar bone separations and fractures

Mountain bikers tend to have cornered the market on clavicle injuries. They are going downhill at a fast rate of speed and often find themselves going over the handlebars when they munch it. Landing on your outstretched hand while at speed creates a shockwave that travels up your arm and damages your shoulder or clavicle.

   Clavicle injuries are most often quite stable and easy to manage. Pain is a major consideration and pain management should be high on your list of treatment protocols.
   Once you have completed a full patient assessment you can begin treatment. Whether the injury is a separation or a full fracture the treatment is the same. Grab a triangular dressing or cut up his spare tee shirt into long strips.
   This is called a clavicle splint and a quick google search will show loads of variations. Basically run two strips over the shoulders and make an X at the small of their back. Tie it tight enough to make their shoulders rotate back. It makes them look like they are standing at attention.
   This treatment will provide some pain relief but more importantly will stabilise your casualty and make evacuation easier.