| Wilderness Medicine |
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| I write a column for Adirondac, the magazine of the Adirondack Mountain Club. The column deals with common backcountry health, safety, and hygiene concerns, and is written for the lay public. The magazine is not available online, but you can click on the logo at the left to be taken to a recent column. Please email me with any suggestions for future columns. |
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| In addition to publications in the lay press, I also have published studies in the scientific/medical literature regarding various health issues pertinent to wilderness use. These have involved enteric infection and wilderness water treatment, climbing harness design, and risk management. Click on the logo for the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine to be taken to links for several of my recent wilderness medicine publications. |
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| The Wilderness Medical Society is a group of professionals from a variety of disciplines, bound by a common interest in health issues related to wilderness use. The society sponsors a variety of educational programs, as well as acting as the publisher of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. Click on the Society's logo to be taken to their site. |
| "Wilderness medicine" has become a hot topic among outdoor educators lately. To me, it means nothing more than the application of universal concepts of health, hygiene, and safety to the backcountry setting. I have put on a variety of workshops on these topics for organizations such as the ACCT and the Adirondack Mountain Club. Please contact me for further information about such workshops, which can be custom-designed to the needs of your particular group. A variety of organizations now offer courses designated as "Wilderness First Responder", designed for those who will be providing first aid on backcountry treks. Many organizations require such WFR certification for their outdoor leaders. I have some reservations about WFR courses. There is ample documentation in the medical and the outdoor literature that the vast majority of medical incidents on treks are the common, mundane injuries (e.g. sprained ankles) which are the stuff of any good first aid course. The first aid principles for dealing with these mishaps are universal. What outdoor leaders most need is training and experience in risk recognition and reduction. In my opinion, many WFR courses devote much of their time to the discussion of implausible scenarios, providing short shrift to prevention. In the rare event of a disastrous injury occuring on a trek, I would far perfer having a highly talented leader, with strong judgement and leadership skills and a basic understanding of first aid principles, than many of the "WFRs" I have met over the years! |
| Water I've never bought in to the almost paranoid fear that our wilderness waters are hopelessly contaminated, and always require treatment before drinking. Sometimes, it seems like a conspiracy by the manufacturers of those silly filters! The December 2004 issue of Backpacker has a great expose on the myth--must reading! There are several quotes from individuals who have studied the "problem", including me. In addition, the magazine sponsored its own study of several wilderness waters in the country. In addition, I have recently written an editorial on this problem for the Wilderness Medical Society's journal, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. A link to the article is available above. |