Synopsis
This field-guide handbook, based upon Dr. Auerbach's text Wilderness Medicine, 3rd Edition, focuses on information that is needed when medical situations present in the wilderness setting. It covers field therapy, initial emergency management, and recommendations for injury and illness prevention (including acclimatization).
... Includes the essential treatment protocols for wilderness emergencies in a compact, easily carried, paperback text. ... Written at a higher-level for the medical professional. ... Discusses diagnostic and treatment procedures with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. ... Includes definitions, clinical presentations, and treatments in a well-organized and indexed format. ... Emphasizes improvisation, so that the reader may efficiently use whatever materials exist in the environment to aid treatment. ... Written by recognized leaders in the field of wilderness medicine.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Gian Corrado, MD(University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine)
Description:This is a portable, concise version of Auerbach's definitive textbook Wilderness Medicine: Management of Wilderness and Environmental Emergencies (Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1995). It is intended for physicians who will be taking care of patients involved in a range of outdoor activities ranging from recreational camping trips to exploration of extreme wilderness. The authors discuss preparation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for a multitude of potential hazards found while exploring the earth's terrain.
Purpose:This guide provides a quick reference including insights regarding the use of alternate therapies when resources may be thin. This allows a physician with moderate field experience, who is not intimately familiar with the larger textbook, to perform in the capacity of a wilderness physician with some aptitude.
Audience:The three authors are well known experts in the field of wilderness trauma and medicine. They have produced a valuable resource for physicians planning to or currently working in the capacity of a wilderness physician. It is entertaining reading for physicians with an interest in the field.
Features:This book is well organized. The chapters are divided by headings such as shock, hypothermia, orthopedic injuries, allergic reaction, etc. There are many clear photos of potentially dangerous animals, suspicious skin infections, and mushrooms to avoid eating, and every chapter includes well-drawn illustrations.
Assessment:This is a fun, interesting, and valuable guide to outdoor medicine. I will take it with me on all future camping, mountain biking, and climbing adventures.