Wilderness & environmental medicine
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jan 2009
Comparison of commercially available disposable chemical hand and foot warmers.
Small chemical hand and foot warmers are used by many winter sport athletes and other outdoor enthusiasts. The purpose of this study was to characterize the thermal behaviors of 14 commercially available hand and foot warmers. ⋯ Although there is a paucity of research information on these types of warmers, this experiment showed that some of the devices exceeded packaging claims while others fell short; that the thermal behavior over time of the devices was variable; and that there appears to be a simple but strong relationship between the mass of the devices and the duration of their heat production.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jan 2009
Polygraphy of sleep at altitudes between 5300 m and 7500 m during an expedition to Mt. Everest (MedEx 2006).
Sleep at extreme altitudes is characterized by the repetitive occurrence of central apneas that in some cases may lead to a marked decrease in arterial oxygen saturation. During the Ludwig Maximilians University Expedition to Mt. Everest (MedEx 2006), nocturnal polygraphic recordings were made at different altitudes and included the first recordings ever made at 7500 m, which were completed on 8 separate occasions during the expedition. ⋯ These data correlate well compared with those obtained in hypobaric chamber studies and show that regardless of physiologic adjustment to low oxygen conditions at Base Camp altitude, during the final summit attempt oxygen saturation drops further to 55% and even less. Thus recordings of nocturnal oxygen saturation at Camp 3 (7500 m) on Everest, where the night is spent before the summit attempt, may help to show the actual efficiency of hypoxic ventilatory response and to detect the individual hypoxic tolerance to altitudes above 8000 m.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jan 2009
Letter Case ReportsFrostbite injury related to chlorethane application.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyComparison of a SAM splint-molded cervical collar with a Philadelphia cervical collar.
To compare the effectiveness of a SAM splint molded into a cervical collar with that of a Philadelphia cervical collar at limiting movement of the cervical spine in 5 different movements. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the SAM splint, when molded into a cervical collar, is as effective as the Philadelphia collar at limiting movement of the cervical spine.
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To analyze the nature of surfing injuries in Cornwall in order to identify trends and inform clinical management. ⋯ Surfing injuries were most common in young adult men. Most injuries presenting to the ED were minor/moderate injuries and did not require hospital admission. The overall pattern of injuries was similar to those found in studies from other countries where surfing is popular; however, there was a higher-than-expected incidence of shoulder dislocation. The trends identified in this study could be used to inform education focused on prevention of the most common injuries. Increased use of protective headwear should be considered.