Subjective Decision-Making Errors and Cognitive Biases in the Backcountry *An UPDATE 2023 ..read more

WildMedEtrier Summaries This presentation was given by Roger Mortimer MD, FAAFP, Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM), International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR), member of suspension committee and National Cave Rescue Commission instructor. A summary editorial of past and present information from Dr. Mortimer can be read at:     https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(10)00320-0/full Depending on when you last researched or obtained training in this arena, you may know this by a variety of names; “suspension trauma” being the most recen ..read more

WildMedEtrier Summaries Keyes, L MD FACEP University of Colorado, presented on acute blood pressure changes at altitude at the WMS Winter conference, 2023. Also addressed in this article is information regarding prescriptive altitude travel restrictions for pre-existing medical conditions and cardiovascular concerns from CDC/Peter Hackett MD, co-founder Himalayan Rescue Association per personal communication. Additionally, included is a synopsis of research regarding cardiovascular and pulmonary changes in response to chronic altitude exposure- which is relevant to all of us individually if we ..read more

So, you signed up to work the Leadville 100 as medical crew but there’s no serum sodium analysis on-site capability. Differentiating between dehydration and hyponatremia can be difficult. The bias tends towards dehydration when confronted with non-specific symptoms such as nausea, headache, lethargy, etc. when in this context. Recent studies, however, show that 67% of ultramarathon runners in one race had EAH,¹ and 13% in the 2020 Boston Marathon with 0.6% of those being critical.² Plash, Walker MD FAWM, presented “Being in Balance in a Salty World” at the Wilderness Medical Society winter co ..read more

WildMedEtrier Summaries Excerpted from the most recent Wilderness Medical Society clinical guidelines release¹; with additional content from the World Allergy Organization “You can’t go wrong giving epinephrine in this situation, but you can definitely go wrong not giving epinephrine.” (Advice to a young EMT named kl from a physician on a call — in regarding a pediatric patient with generalized hives but no other signs of systemic involvement and unreliable history from parents.) Once anaphylaxis is diagnosed, epinephrine should be administered as the first line treatment. Delays while waiting ..read more

A video with some considerations and common decision-making errors. More information regarding subjective decision-making errors can be found in the Wilderness Medicine Reference App by WildMed Etrier ..read more

From the Wilderness Medical Society magazine article: www.wms.org A story about a stress response in a first responder and the resilience of a patient. Stress injuries or reactive stress response incurred by first responders and medical staff may be due to chronic exposure that causes emotional, cognitive, and even physical depletion over time, or just a single trigger event. Informal evaluation tools like the stress continuum scale referenced in this story can help you recognize when you are ready to be out in the field going for a big objective, leading a SAR team, or working in the ER makin ..read more

SPRING 2022 Thank you American Avalanche Association (A3) for including the Wilderness Medicine Reference App in your Spring issue of TAR (The Avalanche Review). The A3 is dedicated to avalanche education, professional development, outreach, and research. The April issue always focuses on human factors in backcountry incidents – similar to the Wilderness Medicine Reference App. The A3 and it’s associated organizations can provide the foundational training and the Wilderness Medicine Reference App can help mitigate the leverage of these subliminal influences in real time. Join the A3 today and ..read more

Wilderness Medicine Reference App is excited to be featured in Wild Snow’s January 28, 2022 edition.    “There are occasions when emergency preparedness can tip the scales of luck a bit more in your favor. There are timeworn ways to do this: find great mentors, seek expertise, take classes, things like pursuing a Wilderness First Responder, which is no small investment in money and time,” author, Jason Albert says. “Recently, I became aware of an app that tips those scales of luck in your favor when it hits the fan. The Wilderness Medicine Reference App is intuitive and once famili ..read more

As a supporter of the American Alpine Club, I was honored to learn that they have included a recognition of the Wilderness Medicine Reference app in their January 2022 newsletter, The Prescription.     ..read more