Wilderness & environmental medicine
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Wilderness Environ Med · Dec 2015
ReviewEthical, Legal, and Administrative Considerations for Preparticipation Evaluation for Wilderness Sports and Adventures.
Preparticipation evaluations (PPEs) are common in team, organized, or traditional sports but not common in wilderness sports or adventures. Regarding ethical, legal, and administrative considerations, the same principles can be used as in traditional sports. ⋯ Additional environmental and personal health issues relative to the wilderness activity should be documented, and referral for further screening should be made as deemed necessary, if unable to be performed by the primary clinician. Travel medicine principles should be incorporated, and recommendations for travel or adventure insurance should be made.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Dec 2015
Civilian Helicopter Search and Rescue Accidents in the United States: 1980 Through 2013.
Helicopters are commonly used in search and rescue operations, and accidents have occurred during helicopter search and rescue (HSAR) missions. The purposes of this study were to investigate whether the HSAR accident rate in the United States could be determined and whether any common contributing factors or trends could be identified. ⋯ Although the overall number of HSAR accidents is small, the percentage of fatal outcomes from HSAR accidents is significantly higher than that from general helicopter aviation accidents and is comparable to that seen for helicopter emergency medical services operations. Further study could help to improve the safety of HSAR flights.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Dec 2015
ReviewMedical Clearance for Desert and Land Sports, Adventure, and Endurance Events.
Endurance events are increasing in popularity in wilderness and remote settings, and participants face a unique set of potential risks for participation. The purpose of this article is to outline these risks and allow the practitioner to better guide the wilderness adventurer who is anticipating traveling to a remote or desert environment.