Backpacker magazine's Trailside First Aid: Recognition, Treatment, And Prevention

101 Pages·2011·180.946 MB·English

by  Molly Absolon

Outfit Your Mind® B
: AC
e K
r P
u A
t C
n K
E
e R THE OUTDOORS AT YOUR DOORSTEP
dv Backpacker magazine’s Trailside First Aid brings you m Trailside
a essential mind gear from the two most respected and a
g
ery rise ltihaeb lied epaulb filirssht-earisd o kfi to outf dinofoorr-mrealattioend oinnf oevrmerayttihoinn.g T fhroism azin First Aid
v e
e minor matters to handling backcountry emergencies ’s
or until professional help arrives. Learn how to assess and T
r
f treat shock; wrap fractures and sprains; manage wounds; a
r
a soothe bites and stings; deal with heat and cold injuries; il
e s
g tend to illnesses, including altitude illness; and assemble i
l d
a a first-aid kit.
e
i
t
n F
e Perfect for pack or pocket, this book breaks down its i
s r
s subject into the essential topics, providing practical s
E t
and portable information useful in the field. Full-color
A
photos and illustrations complement concise, clear text,
i
d
introducing you to the basic and intermediate skills
needed to safely and successfully get by in the outdoors.
Also available:
Backpacker magazine’s
Campsite Cooking • Outdoor Survival
Predicting Weather • Trailside Navigation
Cover photo © Globe Pequot Press
Recognition, Treatment,
Printed in China
and Prevention
US $12.95/CAN $14.50
falcon.com
FalconGuides® is an imprint of
Globe Pequot Press
FUELED BY
BackPkr_FirstAid_Mech_fin.indd 1 9/29/10 9:22 PM
GET READY FOR GET READY FOR
ADVENTURE! ADVENTURE!
TWO TRUSTED PUBLISHERS, TWO TRUSTED PUBLISHERS,
MORE GREAT OUTDOOR ADVICE. MORE GREAT OUTDOOR ADVICE.
» »
backpacker.com backpacker.com
» THOUSANDS OF TRIP REPORTS » THOUSANDS OF TRIP REPORTS
» DOWNLOADABLE MAPS » DOWNLOADABLE MAPS
» GEAR REVIEWS & CHECKLISTS » GEAR REVIEWS & CHECKLISTS
» RECIPES & SHOPPING LISTS » RECIPES & SHOPPING LISTS
» TRAIL & TECHNIQUE VIDEOS » TRAIL & TECHNIQUE VIDEOS
falcon.com falcon.com
» GUIDEBOOKS FOR CITIES, STATES » GUIDEBOOKS FOR CITIES, STATES
& NATIONAL PARKS & NATIONAL PARKS
» WILDLIFE, FLOWER & NATURE GUIDES » WILDLIFE, FLOWER & NATURE GUIDES
» MAINTENANCE & REPAIR MANUALS » MAINTENANCE & REPAIR MANUALS
» INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDES FOR ALL LEVELS » INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDES FOR ALL LEVELS
» BOOKS TO INSPIRE FOR EVERY » BOOKS TO INSPIRE FOR EVERY
ADVENTURE ADVENTURE
» »
BackPkr_FirstAid_Mech_fin.indd 2 9/29/10 9:22 PM
Trailside

First Aid

BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 1 9/1/10 3:20 PM
First Aid

BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 2 9/1/10 3:20 PM
Trailside

First Aid

RecogniTion, TReATmenT,
And PRevenTion
Molly Absolon
Photographs by Dave Anderson
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 3 9/1/10 3:20 PM
FFAALLCCOONNGGUUIIDDEESS®
Copyright © 2011 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may
be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission
should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions
Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.
Backpacker is a registered trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.
FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris
Book Publishing, LLC.
Text design: Sheryl P. Kober
Page layout: Melissa Evarts
Project editor: David Legere
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Absolon, Molly.
Backpacker magazine’s trailside first aid : recognition, treatment, and
prevention / Molly Absolon.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7627-5653-7
1. First aid in illness and injury—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Outdoor medical
emergencies—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Title: Trailside first aid.
RC86.8.A32 2011
616.02'52—dc22
2010034384
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents
happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the
activities described in this book.
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 4 9/1/10 3:20 PM
contents
Introduction vii
chapter one:
Patient Assessment 1
chapter Two:
Shock 27
chapter Three:
Fractures, Sprains, and Tendonitis 29
chapter Four:
Wound Management 43
chapter Five:
Stings and Bites 55
chapter Six:
Heat and Cold Illnesses 63
chapter Seven:
Illnesses 75
chapter eight:
Altitude Illness 78
chapter nine:
First-Aid Kit 81
chapter Ten:
A Final Word 84
Index 85
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 5 9/1/10 3:20 PM
Accidents happen quickly and without warning, so it helps to be
prepared.
vi Trailside First Aid
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 6 9/1/10 3:20 PM
introduction
The scream jolted me out of my reverie. Instantly,
my heart began to race. I swallowed and paused
for a moment before turning around to see what I
assumed would be blood and guts, convinced that
only something terrible could have caused the sound
I’d heard. I reminded myself that I’d been taught to
deal with emergencies. I knew what to do: Size up the
scene, check for ABCs, stabilize the patient. The list
went through my head, soothing me as I ticked off
the steps engrained by years of first-aid training.
I turned around. Behind me, one of my back-
packing students lay turtled on her back, her arms
and legs flailing helplessly in the air as she tried to
right herself. Her screams had dissolved into laughter
as fear faded into relief and amusement at her igno-
minious predicament. I relaxed as I realized that we’d
escaped. No need for first aid this time. My relief was
tempered by a sense of gratitude both for the fact
that the student was okay and for the fact that had
she not been, I knew what to do.
If you spend a lot of time in the wilderness, you
are likely to encounter some kind of first-aid situa-
tion. Proper planning helps minimize this likelihood.
You can choose routes and activities appropriate for
your skill level. You can train to prepare yourself phys-
ically. You can carry the appropriate equipment. But
you cannot avoid everything. Sometime someone
vii
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 7 9/1/10 3:20 PM
Having some basic first-aid skills allows you to explore the
wilderness with confidence.
is going to take a misstep in a boulder field or get a
stomachache in camp. You may need to patch a
blister or tape an ankle; you may find yourself faced
with a broken limb or worse. Having some basic first-
aid skills is imperative in these situations, especially
when the injured or sick party is someone you love.
viii Introduction
BPM_FirstAid_4bpp.indd 8 9/1/10 3:20 PM