Wilderness & environmental medicine
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jun 2018
Review Practice GuidelineInternational Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine Consensus Guidelines for On-Site Management and Transport of Patients in Canyoning Incidents.
Canyoning is a recreational activity that has increased in popularity in the last decade in Europe and North America, resulting in up to 40% of the total search and rescue costs in some geographic locations. The International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine convened an expert panel to develop recommendations for on-site management and transport of patients in canyoning incidents. The goal of the current review is to provide guidance to healthcare providers and canyoning rescue professionals about best practices for rescue and medical treatment through the evaluation of the existing best evidence, focusing on the unique combination of remoteness, water exposure, limited on-site patient management options, and technically challenging terrain. Recommendations are graded on the basis of quality of supporting evidence according to the classification scheme of the American College of Chest Physicians.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Jun 2018
Megalopyge opercularis Caterpillar Stings Reported to Texas Poison Centers.
The Megalopyge opercularis caterpillar is covered with spines that break off and release venom on contact, resulting in severe pain, erythema, rash, and other adverse effects. In Texas, these caterpillars are abundant and of potential health threat. This study describes M opercularis caterpillar stings reported to Texas poison centers. ⋯ M opercularis caterpillar stings reported to Texas poison centers were more frequently reported in July and October to November. Most of the patients were adults. The majority of patients were managed outside of healthcare facilities and did not have serious outcomes. Most of the adverse clinical effects were dermal in nature.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Mar 2018
Knowledge of the Avalanche Victim Resuscitation Checklist and Utility of a Standardized Lecture in Italy.
To explore baseline knowledge about avalanche guidelines and the Avalanche Victim Resuscitation Checklist (AVReCh) in Italy and the knowledge acquisition from a standardized lecture. ⋯ Health care providers and mountain rescue personnel are not widely aware of avalanche guidelines. The standardized lecture significantly improved knowledge of the principles of avalanche management related to core AVReCh elements. However, the effect that this knowledge acquisition has on avalanche victim survival or adherence to the AVReCh in the field is yet to be determined.
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Wilderness Environ Med · Mar 2018
Core Content for Wilderness Medicine Training: Development of a Wilderness Medicine Track Within an Emergency Medicine Residency.
Wilderness medicine training has become increasingly popular among medical professionals with numerous educational opportunities nationwide. Curricula for fellowship programs and for medical student education have previously been developed and published, but a specific curriculum for wilderness medicine education during emergency medicine (EM) residency has not. The objective of this study is to create a longitudinal wilderness medicine curriculum that can be incorporated into an EM residency program. ⋯ It would enhance the coverage of wilderness and environmental core content education for all EM residents in the program. It would provide wilderness-specific education and experience for interested residents, allowing them to align their residency program requirements through a focused area of study and enhancing their curriculum vitae at graduation. Finally, given the popularity of wilderness medicine, the presence of a wilderness medicine track may improve recruitment for the residency program.