If eyes could see. Vision. We take it for granted until we have eye problems or suddenly lose sight in one or both eyes. As mountain rescuers, eye injury or loss of vision during a mission could turn a rescuer into another victim needing assistance. Self protection is vital for eyes and critical in many
The Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park (Obed) unit in eastern Tennessee is home to, among other things, world-class climbing. Injuries and incidents there range from lost or marooned paddlers to climbing injuries to falls from cliffsides of non climbers. With the access to both water and climbing activities, the NPS rangers created a
Bill M Campbell MD FAWM DiMM, MRA MedCom Chair In Mountain Rescue we are often called to search for a missing person. Searching is a skill that is learned and also perishable if not used or practiced. But once we find the person we are looking for, what then? Some in the SAR community
Prepared for the AOD by John Ellerton (MedCom President) and Alison Sheets (MRA) Passed by the AOD on the 21st October 2023. Review date in 3 years time. These ICAR recommendations are designed for all rescuers and mountain rescue organisations. Mountain rescuers are exposed to significant stress in the work they perform. The injuries, illnesses and
Will Petitt PA-C, MRA MedCOM This article was originally published in the Winter 2022 edition of Meridian The subject was a 60-year-old female hiking down from the summit of Pikes Peak (14,109 ft) on a sunny, September day. She stepped on a rock and twisted her left ankle, resulting in lateral (outside) left ankle pain
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Stress can show itself in many forms in first responders. One sign of stress or burnout is known as compassion fatigue. This can show itself as cynicism towards patients or feelings of hopelessness. Compassion fatigue can show after repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic incidents. “Usually people who
Bill M Campbell MD FAWM DiMMAs mountain rescuers, we get very focused on finding and rescuing individuals in austere conditions. Some teams even have the motto “So others may live.” But we must constantly remind ourselves of our priorities: self > team > subject. If we don’t take care of ourselves, then we let ourteam
Cassie Lowry, DO FAWM MRA MedCOM Climbing, in its many forms, has grown in popularity across the country at an estimated 67% increase since 1998. As outdoor sports continued to grow in popularity during the COVID pandemic, the frequency of injuries is likely to have increased as well. Many of the largest data sets predate
ICAR MEDCOM 2022, Montreux, Switzerland Report to MRA Dr. Alison Sheets, Dr. Christopher VanTilburg ICAR 2022 was the first in-person conference since the Covid-19 epidemic and generated a great turn out with around 500 attendees. All commissions had great participation and the venue in Montreux was excellent. The MEDCOM activities began with a pre-conference
Presented by Dr. Alec Ritchie, North Shore SAR team member and medical director. As one of Canada’s busiest SAR teams, North Shore SAR reviewed occupational accidents of the all-volunteer SAR team. They found that 59% were sustained during training, 96% were traumatic injuries although most minor. There were 24 fatalities in the line of duty
Richard Yocum, MD, San Diego Mountain Rescue Team and Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit Frostbite is a painful condition often resulting in loss of tissue that is usually preventable. The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) published a 2019 update to their clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of frostbite1 , which serves as the primary
This is a tool that was piloted in the Washington MRA region last winter; a gear and resource decision tree to support our operations both at command and in the field. The concept is a loose algorithm to guide gear and resources in prep and during the mission, so it’s a dynamic scheme to apply to conditions
The subject was a 60-year-old female hiking down from the summit of Pikes Peak (14,109 ft) on a sunny, September day. She stepped on a rock and twisted her left ankle, resulting in lateral (outside) left ankle pain only and no other injuries. El Paso SAR (Colorado Springs) and Douglas County SAR (South of Denver)
By Skeet Glatterer, MD There have been recent postings on the MRA listserv regarding an increase in costs for CPR training, as well as comments on the use and efficacy of CPR in the field. As a group, our medical expertise is an integral part of the rescue portion of SAR. Some basic level of
by J. Pearce Beissinger, MS, PA-C, DiMM Is the snow melting yet? Any floods in your neck of the woods? Spring is upon us and with the change of season comes more rain and melting snow. During these times a refresher on the topic of drowning is in order. It is especially relevant for the
