Pocket First Aid and Wilderness Medicine

This guide describes basic first aid techniques for those travelling in wilderness areas. Deals with fundamentals such as preparation, prevention, first aid kits and the use of medications and painkillers; and provides details on how to deal with a variety of accidents and illnesses.

Diagram: the skeleton  
Diagram: the internal organs   
Abbreviations and conversion tables  
Preface   
read this!   

PART 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS
1.    Prevention   
Preparation   
Keeping healthy   
Safety in extreme climates   
Particular situations   
Care of local people 
 
2.    Positioning and moving a victim    
Positioning a victim   
Immobilization techniques   
Ways to move a victim
  
3.    Medications – what you need to know   
The basics   
Special considerations   
At altitude   

4.    Pain management   
Painkillers (analgesics)   
Other medications and techniques for pain relief

PART 2: ACCIDENT AND ILLNESS PROCEDURE

5.    Accident and illness procedure summary  

6.    Primary survey – dealing with life-threatening emergencies  
Response   
Airway   
Breathing   
CPR or chest compressions   

7.    Primary survey for specific life-threatening situations  
Suspected spinal injuries   
Life-threatening bleeding   
Choking (blocked airway)   
Drowning   
Hypothermic victim   
Primary survey for children   
Fainting   
Triage   

8.    Shock management   
Common causes of shock   
Symptoms and signs of shock   
Shock prevention and management   

9.    Secondary survey – working out what the problem is   
Taking a medical history   
Carrying out a physical examination   
Checking the vital signs 

10.    Evacuation   
Sending for help   
Evacuating the victim   
Helicopter evacuation   

PART 3: PROBLEMS AND THEIR TREATMENT

11.    Spinal and head (skull and brain) injuries    
General management that applies to all spinal and head injuries   
Spinal (neck and backbone) injuries   
Head (skull and brain) injuries   

12.    Burns   
Burn management   
Specific burns   

13.    Broken bones (fractures) and dislocations   
Broken bones (fractures)   
Specific broken bones   
Dislocations   
Specific dislocations   

14.    Sprains and strains   
General treatment of sprains and strains   
Specific sprains and strains   

15.    Wounds   
Wound management   
Complications   
Specific wounds   

16.    Bites and stings   
Animals and snakes   
Spiders   
Other insects   
Sea creatures   

17.    Altitude illness – AMS, HACE and HAPE   
AMS, HACE and HAPE   
Treatment of altitude illness   
Going back up again?  

18.    Cold weather problems   
Hypothermia   
Frostnip and frostbite   

19.    Hot weather problems   
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke   
Other hot weather problems   

20.    Dehydration    
21.    Diarrhoea and food poisoning   
Mild diarrhoea   
Severe diarrhoea   
Food poisoning   

22.    Abdominal (belly) problems   
Common abdominal problems   
Serious abdominal problems   
Specific serious abdominal problems   

23.    Respiratory problems   
Respiratory tract infections   
Non-infective respiratory problems   

24.    Infectious diseases   

25.     Eyes, ears and mouth   
Eyes   
Ears   
Mouth and teeth   

26.    Skin problems   
Rashes   
Other skin problems   

27.    Problems specific to women and men, and STDs    
Women   
Men   
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)   

28.    Other problems   
Allergy   
Diabetes   
Epilepsy (Grand Mal)   
Fever (cause unknown)   
Headache and migraine   
Blood circulation (vascular) problems   
Mental problems   
Insomnia (cannot sleep, poor sleep)   

Appendix 1:     Chart of medications   
Appendix 2:     First aid kits   
Appendix 3:     Lake Louise score (LLS)    
Appendix 4:     Altitude illness flowchart   
Appendix 5:     Rescue request forms   
Appendix 6:     Useful contacts   
Appendix 7:     Index of diagrams   

Index   

Front cover (inside):     Accident and illness procedure
Back cover (inside):     Basic life support (BLS) in the wilderness