Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents: 2024 Update.

To provide guidance to the general public, clinicians, and avalanche professionals about best practices, the Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to revise the evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, rescue, and resuscitation of avalanche and nonavalanche snow burial victims. The original panel authored the Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents in 2017. A second panel was convened to update these guidelines and make recommendations based on quality of supporting evidence.

Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Pain in Austere Environments: 2024 Update.

The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of pain in austere environments. Recommendations are graded based on the quality of supporting evidence as defined by criteria put forth by the American College of Chest Physicians. This is an update of the 2014 version of the "WMS Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Pain in Remote Environments" published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 2014; 25:41-49.

Avalanche Safety Practices Among Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders in Jackson Hole in 2016.

INTRODUCTION: Carrying standard safety gear (beacon, probe, and shovel), planning a route of descent, and recreating with companions can help to mitigate the risk of injury or death resulting from avalanches in the backcountry. The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with performance of these safety practices. METHODS: A convenience sample of backcountry skiers and snowboarders was surveyed in 2016 at the backcountry gates of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Each participant was surveyed on characteristics including skill level, sex, age, prior avalanche education, and residency in the Jackson Hole area. Safety practices were also measured against avalanche hazard forecasts. Correlations were assessed using Fisher's exact testing. RESULTS: A total of 334 participants were surveyed. Factors associated with carrying avalanche safety gear included higher expertise, being a resident of the Jackson Hole area, and prior avalanche education. Factors associated with having a planned route of descent included higher expertise and being a resident of the Jackson Hole area. Factors associated with recreating with companions included younger age and lower expertise. Sex had no association with any of the surveyed safety practices. Participants were less likely to carry avalanche safety gear on low avalanche hazard days. CONCLUSIONS: Certain individual characteristics of backcountry skiers and snowboarders are associated with increased frequency of adherence to recommended safety practices. These findings suggest that particular categories of backcountry recreationists may benefit from further avalanche safety education. The results of this study could help direct future educational efforts among backcountry recreationists.

Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Avalanche and Nonavalanche Snow Burial Accidents.

To provide guidance to clinicians and avalanche professionals about best practices, the Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, rescue, and medical management of avalanche and nonavalanche snow burial victims. Recommendations are graded on the basis of quality of supporting evidence according to the classification scheme of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Emergency Medical Service in the US National Park Service: A Characterization and Two-Year Review, 2012-2013.

OBJECTIVE: Visitors to US National Park Service (NPS) units have a unique set of needs in terms of emergency medical care. The purpose of this review is to quantify and characterize emergency medical services (EMS) activities in the NPS to elaborate on its unique aspects, establish trends, and benchmark these data against a sample of national EMS data. METHODS: The EMS data for calendar years 2012 and 2013 were queried from national NPS reports. RESULTS: The EMS responses totaled 40 calls per million visitors in 2012 and 34 calls per million visitors in 2013. Of those, 75% required a basic life support level of care. There were comparable incidences of transported EMS trauma calls (49%) and medical calls (51%). Of a total of 137 sudden cardiac arrest events, 65% of patients received defibrillation and 26% survived to hospital release. There were 262 total fatalities in 2012 and 238 in 2013, with traumatic fatalities occurring approximately twice as often as nontraumatic fatalities. CONCLUSIONS: Across the country, the NPS responded to a large number of EMS calls each year, but with a relatively low frequency, considering the large number of visitors. This is a challenging setting in which to provide consistent EMS care throughout various NPS administered areas. The typical NPS EMS response provided basic life support level care to visitors with traumatic injuries. The NPS caregivers must be prepared, however, to respond to a varied and diverse range of EMS calls.

Wilderness search strategy and tactics.

Reports of overdue persons are common for search and rescue personnel. Search incidents for missing persons are conducted following established industry standard practices, which are continuously refined through experience and the analysis of previous search operations. Throughout this process, elements of uncertainty exist, and the knowledge and experience of the searchers and search managers may influence the outcome significantly. A sound knowledge of current search tactics will help search and rescue medical providers function more effectively during search operations. Initial actions during a search incident include 3 primary tasks that must be accomplished on any search: investigation, containment, and then hasty search efforts. Concurrent with these initial actions are the establishment of the search area and a formal US National Incident Management System incident command system. That is essential for an efficient operation and will lay the groundwork for expanding the operation past the initial operational period. The goal of applying these standard search management practices is to allow searchers to maximize their efforts, reduce some of the inherent uncertainty, and most importantly, place searchers in a position to detect the missing person.

Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the treatment of acute pain in remote environments.

The Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of pain in austere environments. Recommendations are graded based on the quality of supporting evidence as defined by criteria put forth by the American College of Chest Physicians.

Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the treatment of acute pain in remote environments: 2014 update.

The Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of pain in austere environments. Recommendations are graded on the basis of the quality of supporting evidence as defined by criteria put forth by the American College of Chest Physicians. This is an updated version of the original WMS Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Pain in Remote Environments published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 2014;25(1):41-49.

Mercury toxicity in wildland firefighters.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have shown that significant levels of mercury are being released into the atmosphere by wildland fires throughout the United States. Eagle populations in the western United States are experiencing mercury toxicity in areas where many of these massive fires are occurring. We hypothesized that wildland firefighters exposed to smoke and other contaminates from these extensive fires would also reflect elevated blood levels of mercury. METHODS: Wildland firefighters in the western United States were studied during the summers of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Pre- and post-fire season blood samples were tested for mercury in a cohort of firefighters and control subjects. RESULTS: Over the course of 3 summers, 66 firefighters were studied (41 had pre- and postseason blood draws). In 2008 and 2009 a control group was added with a total of 39 subjects (24 had pre- and postseason blood draws). Detectable blood levels of mercury were found in 6 firefighters, and 1 elevated level was found over the course of the study period. Six control subjects had detectable mercury levels, and no elevated levels were found. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not show statistically significant elevated blood levels of mercury in our cohort of wildland firefighters. However, as forest fires continue to ignite, we recommend continued investigation to ensure the health and safety of firefighting crews.

Search and rescue in the Intermountain West states.

BACKGROUND: Minimal data exist regarding the activity, membership, training, and medical oversight of search and rescue (SAR) teams. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe these characteristics in the Intermountain West SAR organizations. METHODS: A contact list was generated and electronic surveys were sent to SAR officials in each Intermountain West county. Results were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: Of the contacted jurisdictions, 56% (156) responded to the survey. The annual average call volume was 29 missions (range, 5 to 152). Multiple levels of medical training were represented on SAR teams, ranging from first aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation providers to the physician level, and 79% of teams provided some medical training to their membership. Of the SAR medical professionals, 23% had formal wilderness medical training. Local emergency medical services provided 60% of the medical care on SAR missions rather than SAR personnel. Formal physician medical oversight was present in 41% of the SAR teams. These physicians participated in a range of SAR activities including medical protocol drafting (including expanded scope of practice), medical trainings, mission participation, medical consultation, and prescribing medications for field use. The majority (69%) of those physicians were trained in emergency medicine, and 45% of the active medical directors had protocols allowing for an expanded scope of practice due to the remote nature of SAR medical care. CONCLUSIONS: Intermountain West SAR teams vary in their activity, composition, training, and level of medical oversight. This study confirms that opportunities exist for physician integration with SAR teams in the studied states and likely throughout the United States.

Management of Multi-Casualty Incidents in Mountain Rescue: Evidence-Based Guidelines of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM).

Blancher, Marc, François Albasini, Fidel Elsensohn, Ken Zafren, Natalie Hölzl, Kyle McLaughlin, Albert R. Wheeler III, Steven Roy, Hermann Brugger, Mike Greene, and Peter Paal. Management of multi-casualty incidents in mountain rescue: Evidence-based guidelines of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM). High Alt Med Biol. 19:131-140, 2018. INTRODUCTION: Multi-Casualty Incidents (MCI) occur in mountain areas. Little is known about the incidence and character of such events, and the kind of rescue response. Therefore, the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM) set out to provide recommendations for the management of MCI in mountain areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Details of MCI occurring in mountain areas related to mountaineering activities and involving organized mountain rescue were collected. A literature search using (1) PubMed, (2) national mountain rescue registries, and (3) lay press articles on the internet was performed. The results were analyzed with respect to specific aspects of mountain rescue. RESULTS: We identified 198 MCIs that have occurred in mountain areas since 1956: 137 avalanches, 38 ski lift accidents, and 23 other events, including lightning injuries, landslides, volcanic eruptions, lost groups of people, and water-related accidents. DISCUSSION: General knowledge on MCI management is required. Due to specific aspects of triage and management, the approach to MCIs may differ between those in mountain areas and those in urban settings. CONCLUSIONS: Mountain rescue teams should be prepared to manage MCIs. Knowledge should be reviewed and training performed regularly. Cooperation between terrestrial rescue services, avalanche safety authorities, and helicopter crews is critical to successful management of MCIs in mountain areas.