Originally Posted by
Blissful
I wouldn't think so as a paramedic in the "front country" as they call urban areas. Help is nearby. I guess the syringe idea comes into play of trying to keep a major wound as clean as possible in the back country, hence irrigation for dirty wounds. I mean I won't debate how much bacteria is added by a syringe vs leaving a dirty wound with its bacteria present alone. But with the scenarios presented, even three miles up a trail from the road (in the case presented by the instructor it was the rocks of Old Rag) and with a major injury and blood loss where the patient cannot hike, it could still take upwards of 10 hours to get a person down with rescue personnel from time of discovery. And that is if you can get a phone signal. 10 hours with a dirty wound is plenty of time for bacteria to multiply in a big wound and raise havoc in the system.
Of course the more treacherous parts of teh AT are well away from medical help. There are many, many places on the AT that roads are a good distance away, not to mention medical help farther away than that. So this time factor could be multiplied.
I think your last two sentences sums it up well.