Snowmass, Colorado — Wall Street Journal health blogger, Laura Landro, also took notice of this year’s meeting of the Wilderness Medical Society (see my previous post). Some excerpts from her post:
“Wilderness-medicine experts are the swashbucklers of health care, often emergency physicians who take time from hospital practices to accompany expeditions, run clinics at Everest base camp and work with ski-patrol rescue teams, often without pay.
But wilderness-medicine experts also treat Sherpas and other local workers on climbs and treks, and provide care to inhabitants of less-developed countries where they conduct research into animal- and insect-transmitted diseases, snake bites and toxic plants.
Such experts are also working with disaster-preparedness groups and the military on helping victims of natural disasters or combat casualties. They can convey an arsenal of improvisational techniques for use in locations far from modern facilities — such as tying scalp lacerations with a victim’s hair and dental floss, using a kayak paddle to make a splint, or immobilizing a neck injury with a fanny pack and duct tape.”
