One of the hats I wear in life is as a WEMT-P/WALS. I have been highly interested in wilderness medicine over the years, and have been fortunate to do some occasional teaching for WMA (http://www.wildmed.com/)

Anyway... I was just cleaning out my office and came across the first text I had to study when I went thru my original WFR (Wilderness First Responder) course. The book is written by Jeff Isaac and is what really got me bit. Not trying to pimp his book, but if you are at all interested in having an inkling of what to do in a medical emergency, this is certainly a good book to have read. This is the 1998 edition, but if you look around, you can find his latest version.

We used to define the "wilderness context" as more than 2 hrs from definitive care, but in today's post 911/super-storm world one can quickly find himself in the "wilderness" right in the middle of downtown USA. This stuff is super relevant and good to know...

FYI... If you are interested in getting even more training, I suggest you look into a wilderness medicine class. Both WMA and WMI/NOLS have programs.

15-year Wilderness-EMT here. NREMT-B. Used to instruct for SOLO, but did my original WFR with WMA, and have been around a few of the other schools. I've worked in backcountry rescue settings but now I generally let stuff come to me. Bigrenna's right- this is good stuff for your bag of tricks.

I think anyone owes it to self and family to have a pretty fair knowledge of first aid. When I took a Red Cross Advanced First Aid course years ago, I was partnered with a doc in whatever airplane we had at the time. I was a bit shocked when he told me that in 4 years of med school plus all of the extra years he took to become an ob/gyn, he'd never had a first aid course--everything he knew about being a first responder came from a first aid course he'd taken in high school!

Since taking the course, I've always carried significant first aid supplies, whether in the car or airplane. I recently bought Doc Blue's medical kit from aeromedix--seems to be a pretty well thought out kit, pretty complete and yet fairly compact. Over the years, I've only had a few occasions to use first aid, but it's good to know.

Cary

X4 on the first responder courses. Got my OEC tech when living in steamboat springs in 2002 (Outdoor Emergency Care-was what used to be required by ski patrol, I think its WFR now). I highly recommend taking one of these courses if you fly or do anything out in the backcountry. I've had more than a handful of friends (including myself) get in a pinch surfing in remote places, snowboarding/skiing and hunting in the backcountry. It helps tremendously to be prepared for worst case scenarios when you play in dangerous places far away from proper medical care!!! Kinda like guns "Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it"

They are all worth while courses.

I agree about the uselessness of most docs in an emergency setting. (Forget even the backcountry,) even ER docs get a bit flustered when there are no bright lights and cold steel an arms length away. Good back country medicine is less about the "best med kit" and more about improvisation and smart thinking. I really urge anyone who likes to explore the backcountry to take at least a WFA (wilderness first aid) course. Most companies do this in two days and is just enough to let you know what you don't know, but empower you to keep your head screwed on when it goes south.

But fyi... OEC is not WFR. They are still pretty different. I am also National Ski Patrol. Although the OEC curriculum (5th edition) is SOOO much better than before, it's still lagging behind some of the new progressive thoughts in back country medicine.


Here is the info on the WMA course:

Wilderness First Aid - WFA Summary

The best and most comprehensive course of its kind to offer relevant and realistic first-aid training for seasonal outdoor activities or short term wilderness endeavors and pursuits.

Wilderness First Aid is a two-day introduction to general medical concepts and basic life support skills. It is targeted to the outdoor enthusiast on day trips or short adventures. The course is taught by professional instructors with significant patient care and backcountry experience.


Course topics are:
Patient Assessment System; CPR; Circulatory System; Nervous System; Respiratory System; Fractures, Stable Injuries; Splints 1-Extremities; Hypothermia; Hyperthermia and Heat Illness; Near Drowning; Lightning Injuries; Wounds and Burns; Anaphylaxis; Lifting, Moving Extrication; Patient Carries; Backcountry Medicine

Hey Bigrenna, thanks for all the info. I'm not ski patrol, though about 90% of the folks in the class were. Just took the course to help offset how reckless my friends and I were at the time, and it gave 5 or 6 hours of college credit. It was a whole semester long course and was really alot of fun, the teach was Jim Johnson (NSP and ex-Navy Seal) a really great guy. You've motivated me to bust out the books and refresh my brain

I am about 2/3rd's through an EMT course that is being taught at the main station in the fire district I volunteer for. Hard course. I start my clinical hours soon too, as well as ride alongs. I was thinking at first that I would take a class from remote medicine international on extended care for the critically injured when no one else is comming for a while, but then I get the whole scope of practice lecture. Still will probably do it.
I may even take on some shifts driving an ambulance as an EMT in my county. Most of the time it is one EMT one Paramedic. Pay's ok, and the schedule won't affect my day job.

D.

DavidB. wrote:I am about 2/3rd's through an EMT course that is being taught at the main station in the fire district I volunteer for. Hard course. I start my clinical hours soon too, as well as ride alongs. I was thinking at first that I would take a class from remote medicine international on extended care for the critically injured when no one else is comming for a while, but then I get the whole scope of practice lecture. Still will probably do it.
I may even take on some shifts driving an ambulance as an EMT in my county. Most of the time it is one EMT one Paramedic. Pay's ok, and the schedule won't affect my day job.

D.

It's all medicine and it's all good experience, but like Bigrenna said street EMT courses and even OEC focus on having street tool kits and short transfer times. Wilderness medicine places more emphasis on principles, improvisation, and the extended-care environment. "Do the best you can with what you've got." Another difference is high rates of medical calls in Street, vs high rates of trauma calls in Wilderness. Somebody out in the woods probably isn't chronically ill, they were probably doing pretty well right up until the snake bit them, or the lightening struck them, or the rock fell on their head.

David,

If you are almost done your EMT course work, I would encourage you to look into taking the "W" bridge. This will give you your WEMT (really good class.) And of course, nothing beats experience. Get as much "real world" experience as possible. Real patient care is where its at rather than just reading about it. The slip and falls in the nursing home teach you just as much in the beginning as the 12hr evac post high angle rescue on the cliff side.

Awesome for getting the EMT!

I did WFR w/ WMI - highly recommended.

'soyAnarchisto

bigrenna wrote:David,

If you are almost done your EMT course work, I would encourage you to look into taking the "W" bridge. This will give you your WEMT (really good class.) And of course, nothing beats experience. Get as much "real world" experience as possible. Real patient care is where its at rather than just reading about it. The slip and falls in the nursing home teach you just as much in the beginning as the 12hr evac post high angle rescue on the cliff side.

Awesome for getting the EMT!

Thanks.
Planning on taking the course from Remote Medicine International http://www.remotemedical.com/
The teach for the W ad on here. I can also take courses after more patient contacts to get certified for IV therapy as well as a couple other certifications.
I just did some time at the nursing home, you meet the greatest people there. Mostly just took vitals and talked, and some of them love to talk, I felt bad that I had to leave. I might go back and bring a guitar, or dog, just because it makes them so happy.

David