January/February 2011 ISN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
What is your Preparation for the Unexpected Night Out?
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia, TSAR Medical Officer
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
So, what is survival?
The following is a good working definition: “The ability and the desire to stay alive, all alone, under adverse conditions, until rescued.” These essential items cannot be found in your SAR pack or at GSAR course training. The process to survive depends on:
https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2011-01-14 19:59:062011-12-06 21:01:32WHAT IS YOUR PREPARATION FOR THE UNEXPECTED NIGHT OUT?
January/February 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
Using Hemostatic Agents to Control Severe Bleeding
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
Historically and still currently today, severe hemorrhage remains the leading cause of death in combat. In civilian trauma, it is the second cause of preventable death after head trauma. Before I get into the discussion about the use of a hemostatic agent for controlling major arterial bleeds, let’s be aware that we should judiciously use direct pressure as the first line of defense to control bleeding from external bleeding sites. With effective direct pressure along with proper wound packing, these two approaches can stop severe bleeding in most cases. This is true even for major vessels such as the carotid or femoral arteries. Casualties with such injuries often bleed to death despite attempts at direct pressure.
https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2011-01-13 20:16:112011-12-06 15:40:14USING HEMOSTATIC AGENTS TO CONTROL SEVERE BLEEDING
January/February 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
How to Apply a Tourniquet in the Wilderness Setting:
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
“The new concept of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)
has revolutionized the management of combat
Casualties in the prehospital tactical setting.”
R. Mabry, MD and J. McManus, MD
Critical Care Medicine, 2008
Is there a place for a tourniquet in your backcountry jump kit? Well, possibly, but does everyone in the backcountry need to carry them? Does wilderness epidemiology provide evidence for the frequency of severe bleeding? Does shock result in the same outcome no matter the mechanism of injury? Are all tourniquets effective? Should we use them? It is not that simple! The answer is not yes or no, but, when, where, why, how and which ones? The following discussion is the most up-to-date information from the Department of Defense tourniquet use on thousands of casualties over the past 10 years. The answers to these questions should become clear as you read this article.
https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2011-01-12 20:31:482011-12-06 16:46:19How to Apply a Tourniquet in the Wilderness Setting:
The fact is that soft tissue injuries, such as abrasions, lacerations, and puncture wounds are very common. We have all had these sorts of injuries at one time or another, and most of the time they are simply a nuisance, easily remedied with a little tender loving care, soap and water, and a Band-aid. But, it’s not always quite that easy. Even a simple wound, if not managed properly, can turn into a potentially life-threatening infection.
When working in disaster response, medical mission relief, wilderness medicine, or remote medicine, the skills of wound management are of critical importance. The wound may be a small abrasion on the knee that simply needs a good scrubbing to clean it out or a large, jagged laceration caused by the slip of a chainsaw, resulting in a deep gash, that is bleeding profusely, and full of bark, dirt, and oil. Regardless, any and all soft tissue injuries need proper attention to facilitate healing and, more importantly, to minimize the risk of a serious infection.
November/December 2010 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 23 Number 6
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.BB.R. Walsh
STREAMS, SLIPS, AND STICKS
It may sound trite, but one of the riskier activities for hikers is crossing streams. Not major white water rivers with Class 3 or 4 rapids, but small, shallow, slow-moving streams and rivulets that are 1 – 2 feet deep and 6-10 feet wide with a stream bottom that is lined with smooth river stones and many larger rocks sticking up several inches above the water. The stones are just close enough together to make hopping from one wet, slippery rock to another impossible to resist.
WHAT IS YOUR PREPARATION FOR THE UNEXPECTED NIGHT OUT?
/in Environemtal Injuries, Survival/by WMN EditorsJanuary/February 2011 ISN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
What is your Preparation for the Unexpected Night Out?
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia, TSAR Medical Officer
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
So, what is survival?
The following is a good working definition: “The ability and the desire to stay alive, all alone, under adverse conditions, until rescued.” These essential items cannot be found in your SAR pack or at GSAR course training. The process to survive depends on:
Read more
USING HEMOSTATIC AGENTS TO CONTROL SEVERE BLEEDING
/in Bandaging, Crush Injuries, First Aid Kits, Medical Response, Soft Tissue/by WMN EditorsJanuary/February 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
Using Hemostatic Agents to Control Severe Bleeding
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
Historically and still currently today, severe hemorrhage remains the leading cause of death in combat. In civilian trauma, it is the second cause of preventable death after head trauma. Before I get into the discussion about the use of a hemostatic agent for controlling major arterial bleeds, let’s be aware that we should judiciously use direct pressure as the first line of defense to control bleeding from external bleeding sites. With effective direct pressure along with proper wound packing, these two approaches can stop severe bleeding in most cases. This is true even for major vessels such as the carotid or femoral arteries. Casualties with such injuries often bleed to death despite attempts at direct pressure.
Read more
How to Apply a Tourniquet in the Wilderness Setting:
/in Control bleeding, Medical Response, Rescue Training, Trauma, Treatment/by WMN EditorsJanuary/February 2011 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 24 Number 1
How to Apply a Tourniquet in the Wilderness Setting:
Brad L. Bennett, PhD, NREMT-P, WEMT, FAWM
Captain, US Navy (Ret.)
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor
Tidewater Search & Rescue, Virginia
Member, Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care
“The new concept of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)
has revolutionized the management of combat
Casualties in the prehospital tactical setting.”
R. Mabry, MD and J. McManus, MD
Critical Care Medicine, 2008
Is there a place for a tourniquet in your backcountry jump kit? Well, possibly, but does everyone in the backcountry need to carry them? Does wilderness epidemiology provide evidence for the frequency of severe bleeding? Does shock result in the same outcome no matter the mechanism of injury? Are all tourniquets effective? Should we use them? It is not that simple! The answer is not yes or no, but, when, where, why, how and which ones? The following discussion is the most up-to-date information from the Department of Defense tourniquet use on thousands of casualties over the past 10 years. The answers to these questions should become clear as you read this article.
Read more
ADVANCED WOUND MANAGEMENT
/in Bandaging, First Aid Kits, Skin, Soft Tissue, Trauma/by WMN EditorsThe fact is that soft tissue injuries, such as abrasions, lacerations, and puncture wounds are very common. We have all had these sorts of injuries at one time or another, and most of the time they are simply a nuisance, easily remedied with a little tender loving care, soap and water, and a Band-aid. But, it’s not always quite that easy. Even a simple wound, if not managed properly, can turn into a potentially life-threatening infection.
When working in disaster response, medical mission relief, wilderness medicine, or remote medicine, the skills of wound management are of critical importance. The wound may be a small abrasion on the knee that simply needs a good scrubbing to clean it out or a large, jagged laceration caused by the slip of a chainsaw, resulting in a deep gash, that is bleeding profusely, and full of bark, dirt, and oil. Regardless, any and all soft tissue injuries need proper attention to facilitate healing and, more importantly, to minimize the risk of a serious infection.
ISSN-1059-6518
Read more
STREAMS, SLIPS, AND STICKS
/in Blisters, Environemtal Injuries, Feet, Lower leg, prevention/by WMN EditorsNovember/December 2010 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 23 Number 6
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.BB.R. Walsh
STREAMS, SLIPS, AND STICKS
It may sound trite, but one of the riskier activities for hikers is crossing streams. Not major white water rivers with Class 3 or 4 rapids, but small, shallow, slow-moving streams and rivulets that are 1 – 2 feet deep and 6-10 feet wide with a stream bottom that is lined with smooth river stones and many larger rocks sticking up several inches above the water. The stones are just close enough together to make hopping from one wet, slippery rock to another impossible to resist.
Read more
Bedbugs
/in Bites and Stings, Rash, Skin itching/by WMN EditorsNovember/December 2010 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 23 Number 6
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
Bedbugs:
For the past 5 issues of the WMNL, we have discussed human ectoparasites. In this issue we will complete the topic with a discussion about bedbugs.
Read more