Search and Rescue Activity on Denali, 1990 to 2008 (original) (raw)
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High altitude medicine & biology, 2018
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. 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. 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...
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2019
IntroductiondBecause of the growing popularity of mountain tourism, the number of injuries related to mountain activities has increased rapidly. The regional volunteer search and rescue team (Tatra mountain rescue team [MRT], Poland) anticipates future increases in injuries and accidents. MethodsdAn analysis was performed on Tatra MRT incident reports for the years 2012 through 2013. These reports include information on the mechanism of injury, weather conditions, and demographic data of the injured tourists. The data were provided by the operation supervisor of each search and rescue mission. The study group consisted of 844 reports (median age 37 y, range 18e90 y). The analysis was designed to determine whether features such as age and sex of the injured tourist were correlated to the injury mechanisms (as identified by the rescuers) or their National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics L International Committee for Alpine Rescue (NACA ICAR) score. ResultsdOur study of the Tatra MRT data revealed that age and sex are risk factors for the rate and severity of injuries in the mountain environment. Injured men were more likely to require resource-intensive search and rescue missions and usually had a worse NACA ICAR score (P¼ 0.041). The age analysis showed that older people are more likely to sustain a serious injury (3e7 NACA ICAR score). However, the most common rescue scenario involved younger males (20e40 y) at a higher altitude (>1500 m, P< 0.001). ConclusionsdSex and age are associated with the mechanisms and severity of injuries in the mountain environment. They should be considered in the development of appropriate prevention and response programs. Further studies are needed to confirm the results.
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2018
Canyoning is a recreational activity that has increased in popularity in the last decade in Europe and North America, resulting in up to 40% of the total search and rescue costs in some geographic locations. The International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine convened an expert panel to develop recommendations for on-site management and transport of patients in canyoning incidents. The goal of the current review is to provide guidance to healthcare providers and canyoning rescue professionals about best practices for rescue and medical treatment through the evaluation of the existing best evidence, focusing on the unique combination of remoteness, water exposure, limited on-site patient management options, and technically challenging terrain. Recommendations are graded on the basis of quality of supporting evidence according to the classification scheme of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Search and Rescue in the Intermountain West States
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2013
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.
Epidemiology of Search and Rescue in Baxter State Park: Dangers of Descent and Fatigue
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2015
Objective.-The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiology of injury in Baxter State Park, Maine, and to better tailor search and rescue (SAR) resources, personnel, and training to acute needs in the park. Methods.-We conducted a retrospective review of all SAR incident reports in Baxter State Park from July 1992 through June 2014. For each event, demographics, location, time, activity before the incident, incident details, and evacuation means were recorded and analyzed. Results.-In all, 754 incidents of SAR or medical need were identified. Mean age was 38.9 years; mean age for subjects with fatigue as the primary complaint was 48.7 years. A majority (60.5%) of victims were male. Nineteen fatalities occurred during the study. Traumatic injuries precipitated 51% of SAR incidents, and an additional 30% were initiated for late or lost parties. Slips or falls while hiking were the most common causes of injury (67%), with the lower extremity being the most common injury site (31%). When applicable, 84.4% of acute need occurred while descending, as opposed to ascending, a mountain. Fatigue was the most commonly reported medical emergency, causative in 66% of medical SAR events. Conclusions.-Fatigue is a major factor in SAR events, both as a discreet cause and as a contributor to other injuries. Search and rescue need is more likely to occur during mountain descent, and lower extremity injuries are the most common etiology. Efforts should be focused on training rescuers in lower extremity and fatigue treatment, and more rescuers should be available when many are descending.
An Analysis of Backcountry Accidents and Rescue in Grand Teton National Park
University of Wyoming National Park Service Research Center Annual Report, 1996
Since 1950, detailed records of all climbing accidents in Grand Teton National Park were maintained by rangers (and others) involved in rescue. In this paper, we present: 1) an overall summary of backcountry accidents, their locations, and causes since 1950; 2) several summaries of the accidents by decades, locations and activity levels; 3) a fatality synopsis; and 4) an in-depth overview of the current accident trend from 1994 through 1996, which includes a male and female accident profile, cause and location summary, cost analysis, and other information.
Intended for Physicians, First Responders, Mountaineers
2005
This article reflects the consensus of opinion of ICAR-MEDCOM (International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine) and UIAA-MEDCOM (Medical Commission of the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) which have full responsibility for the content.
High Altitude Medicine & Biology, 2011
Tomazin, Iztok, John Ellerton, Oliver Reisten, Inigo Soteras, and Miha Avbelj. Medical standards for mountain rescue operations using helicopters: Official consensus recommendations of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM). High Alt. Med. Biol. 12:335-341.-The purpose of this article is to establish medical recommendations for safe and effective Helicopter Emergency Medical Systems (HEMS) in countries with a dedicated mountain rescue service. A nonsystematic search was undertaken and a consensus among members of International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR Medcom) was reached. For the severely injured or ill patient, survival depends on approach time and quality of medical treatment by high-level providers. Helicopters can provide significant shortening of the times involved in mountain rescue. Safety is of utmost importance and everything possible should be done to minimize risk. Even in the mountainous environment, the patient should be reached as quickly as possible (optimally < 20 min) and provided with on-site and en-route medical treatment according to international standards. The HEMS unit should be integrated into the Emergency Medical System of the region. All dispatchers should be aware of the specific problems encountered in mountainous areas. The nearest qualified HEMS team to the incident site, regardless of administrative boundaries, should be dispatched. The 'air rescue optimal crew' concept with its flexibility and adaptability of crewmembers ensures that all HEMS tasks can be performed. The helicopter and all equipment should be appropriate for the conditions and specific for mountain related emergencies. These recommendations, agreed by ICAR Medcom, establish recommendations for safe and effective HEMS in mountain rescue.
BMJ Open, 2022
ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe the cause of death and characteristics at the prehospital setting associated with care and rescue processes of non-survivors rescued in the mountain of Japan.DesignRetrospective analysis.SettingPrehospital setting of mountain searches and rescues in Japan. A total of 10 prefectural police headquarters with >10 cases of mountain death from 2011 to 2015.ParticipantsData were generated from the existing records. Of the total 6159 rescued subjects, 548 mountain deaths were caused by recreational activities.ResultsAmong the 548 mountain deaths, 83% were men, and major causes of death were trauma (49.1%), hypothermia (14.8%), cardiac death (13.1%) and avalanche-related death (6.6%). The alive rate at rescue team arrival in all non-survivors was 3.5%, with 1, 4 and 14 cases of cardiac, hypothermia and trauma, respectively. Cardiac deaths occurred in 93.1% (67/72) of men and individuals aged >41 years, and 88.7% (63/71) were found on mountain tra...
Journal of travel medicine, 2017
Objective: To provide medical kit recommendations for short mountain wilderness recreation trips (hiking, trekking, backpacking, mountaineering etc.) based on the epidemiology of injury and illness sustained and best treatment guidelines. Additionally, to compare these recommendations to the medical kit contents of mountain climbers in Colorado. Methods: A primary literature review concerning the epidemiology of injury and illness in mountain wilderness settings was performed. This information and literature on the efficacy of given treatments were used to derive recommendations for an evidence-based medical kit. The contents of 158 medical kits and the most likely demographics to carry them were compiled from surveys obtained from mountain climbers on 11 of Colorado's 14 000-foot peaks. Results: Musculoskeletal trauma, strains, sprains and skin wounds were the most common medical issues reported in the 11 studies, which met inclusion criteria. Adhesive bandages (Band-Aids) were the most common item and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most common medication carried in medical kits in Colorado. More than 100 distinct items were reported overall. Conclusion: Mountain climbing epidemiology and current clinical guidelines suggest that a basic mountain medical kit should include items for body substance isolation, materials for immobilization, pain medications, wound care supplies, and medications for gastrointestinal upset and flu-like illness. The medical kits of Colorado mountain climbers varied considerable and often lacked essential items such as medical gloves. This suggests a need for increased guidance. Similar methodology could be used to inform medical kits for other outdoor activities, mountain rescue personnel, and travel to areas with limited formal medical care.