Wilderness 911: A Step-By-Step Guide for Medical Emergencies and Improvised Care in the Backcountry

Wilderness 911 takes all backcountry travelers from the basics of first aid to more advanced wilderness medicine with straightforward, step-by-step instructions. For situations when aid-givers don't have the proper supplies, this guide teaches creative and medically sound problem-solving for emergency situations.

The easy-to-follow format walks you through "Signs and Symptoms" and "Treatment," and notes "When to Worry" signs for a broad spectrum of medical emergencies. "Tricks of the Trade" sidebars offer improvisational techniques, such as closing wounds with dental floss, hair, or duct tape; treating burns or creating an airtight dressing with honey and plastic wrap; relieving mouth bleeding with a tea bag, and many more.

Auerbach, former editor of Journal of Wilderness Medicine and author of several outdoor medicine books, has updated his classic text, first published in 1986, with instructions for handling almost any medical problem likely to arise. Divided into five sections, this book covers basic first aid, major medical emergencies, minor problems, those specific to particular environments such as high altitude or underwater settings, and miscellaneous topics like transporting the injured and performing procedures. Appendixes include medication dosages and conversion tables. Weiss, an emergency medicine physician and medical editor for Backpacker magazine, has written a compact guide for remote situations where professional medical care is not readily available, diagnosis must be rapid, and treatment may have to be improvised using whatever materials are at hand. Part 1 covers basic techniques such as CPR; Part 2, specific injuries or illnesses. For each problem Weiss lists signs and symptoms, general treatment guidelines, "when to worry" icons recommending prompt evacuation, and "backcountry tips" showing how to use what you have as makeshift medical supplies. Appendixes cover medications, evacuation of the injured, and what to include in a wilderness first-aid kit. Both physicians emphasize the need for preparation and prevention before embarking on any outdoor travel. Auerbach includes topics not covered in the shorter Weiss book, but in general they include much the same material. Both are well illustrated with excellent line drawings demonstrating techniques. (Indexes not seen.)AAnne C. Tomlin, Auburn Memorial Hosp. Lib., NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.