A clear, practical first-aid guide for use in the wilderness. Early chapters explain general principles of wilderness medicine and the major body systems. Later chapters detail appropriate responses to injuries and conditions involving the bones and soft tissue, toxins and allergies, environmental medicine, and common symptoms and medical problems. Final chapters discuss medicine and medical supplies and wilderness rescue, evacuation, and helicopter safety. Includes case histories, a glossary, and b&w drawings. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
I'm taking a Wilderness First Responder course so I got this book and read it ahead of time (mainly because I'm so old I have to do twice, what everyone else does once to get it stuck in my brain which seems to rapidly be turning into concrete). At any rate, it's an excellent introduction to the topic of First-Aid in the wilderness and very worthwhile for anyone who is planning on spending any time beyond the quick reach of medical responders.
I've been watching the thru-hikers on the PCT, AT, and CDT, this year on YouTube and Facebook and I've already seen everything from encounters with snakes, to blisters, to broken bones, to twisted ankles, and even an evacuation for emergency surgery due to severe stomach pain, so things happen along the trail that happen every day in the world, but medical care is rarely close, so it pays to be prepared.
This book needs updating badly. The pictures are awful and mostly useless. The diagrams look like rough drafts. Ok, there are good parts of this book: it gives a general and intuitive idea of the body, and how it can go wrong. It also tries to explain what to do to help people. However, I really think there is a ton of room for improvement in terms of the pedagogy. I'd love to know some better recommendations.
Really interesting! I liked how they talked about how to tell if it was a certain condition and when it was an emergency situation. Very informative. Learning about the reason for different symptoms was fascinating!
Was deciding whether to read or donate this book. Decided to do both. It was a good review of basic first aid, which is mostly common sense. Make sure blood is circulating, breathing in oxygen is happening, and the person is conscious.
This was one of the required texts for my Wilderness First Responder course (via WMA). It was well organized and useful and I still refer back to it to refresh my memory.