What do you do in an emergency???

[snuffleupagus]

Has anyone ever cut there toenails too short, and gotten one of those painful little hangnails that just hurt like hell? Well, I had two in both toe's last year and if I would've had a cell phone w/me I'd have called for a Park Ranger to airlift me out of the woods. Man that was a painful walk. All joking aside now. Does anyone know what to do to active EMS in the wilderness? What if you were in a real 100 mile wilderness?

[deeddawg]

Does anyone know what to do to active EMS in the wilderness? What if you were in a real 100 mile wilderness?

I've had the privilege of taking the Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Basics course.

Apart from the PLB's now on the market you essentially have three options in a wilderness emergency: Send for help, evacuate the injured person, or do both (in hopes that EMS can meet you "halfway").

Which option you choose depends on several factors including the nature of the injury, the terrain, weather, number of people available to assist, etc. No clear-cut answers here, I'm afraid -- you just have to make the best judgement call you can manage given all the particulars of the situation.

Sadly, in some cases, the injured party just isn't going to make it out of the woods alive no matter what you do -- it is important to recognize that this can happen and not to unnecessarily endanger the lives of others. I pray that I am never faced with such a situation.

In addition to other materials, we used the book Mountaineering First Aid, fourth edition, by The Mountaineers. Included in this book is a "Rescue Request" form which it is recommended be copied and placed in a first aid kit in order to help remember what information will be most useful to send with anyone who goes to obtain EMS assistance. The book is definitely worth a read.

[Blue Jay]

You have three options. Walk out, get someone to carry you out or die.

[chris]

You have three options. Walk out, get someone to carry you out or die.

That's damn right.

[Brushy Sage]

I asked a ranger in Smoky Mtn Natl Park about this, and he suggested this procedure: Stabilize the person the best you can. If cell phones don't work, leave somebody with disabled person, and go for help (of course the tricky part is determining which way to go), and tell everyone you meet to pass the work along. Keep trying cell phone. Eventually the rangers will get the word, and a response team will come in. If necessary, the team will take the disabled person, on a wheeled stretcher (or gurney) to a point where they can be airlifted out of the park. The ranger said they airlifted out a guy who thought he was having an appendicitis attack, and it turned out to be just a stomach ache.

[Doctari]

Personally I like to PANIC!!! first, that gets it out of the way early, and I find that running around screaming: OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD! Helps me to acheve this important level of panic.

:jump

Actually after almost 22 years in the EMS field, I never panic, but the immage of me doing so made my wife laugh. My real answer agrees with Brushy Sage: Stabalize, leave someone to care for (protect?) injured/sick, send TWO people to get help if you can. If possible, try to transport the patient if that can be SAFELY done & let the people going for rescue know how you would go IF you are able to transport, probably the same way the rescuers are going, but maybe not. On the southern section of the Smokies (AT) there is a helecoptor landing pad right on the AT (about mid section between Newfound & Davenport gaps).
Remember your ABCs: Airway, Breathing, Circulation! that is: keep the airway open, make sure they are breathing, keep the blood circulating by stopping it from leaking out &/or CPR. Also, keep the patient warm, Hypothermia can kill, even on a "warm day" as warm as 70f especially if injured & laying on cool, wet ground. Try not to move a fall victum if at all possible, spinal injury sucks, just ask Chris Reeves. Avoid giving medications, & possibly food or drink unless you are absolutly certan that the lack therof is the cause of the problem, ie: diabetic emergencies require insulin or food (or both) Dehydration REQUIRES water. Under no circumstances give an unconcious person ANYTHING by mouth, EVER.

I have recomended this for years: Take a first aid course, the Red Cross offers a good one very cheap. There aint a rush in the world like saving a life! There isn't anythig that will bring you down like watching someone die because you couldn't do anything.

Doctari.