As the Eco Primal Quest continues – teams are faced with cold temperatures and rain.  Below is an update from the official website with a photo of our Heatsheets Bivvy in action – keeping the teams warm and dry on a cold morning.

Here’s a photo taken just minutes ago from the checkpoint.

Teams Brace For More Bad Weather!
Posted on 08/19/09 7:53 AM| by Kraig

Wednesday morning brings us another round of incliment weather, as Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT stretches into its fifth day. The forecast calls for cooler temperatures today, with rain a distinct possibility. The combination of the two can make for a long, cold, miserable day out on the course.

Question:

I really like your wilderness first aid book but am wondering if you are going to update it soon to include things like new CPR techniques.  Beverly F, MD

Answer:

Beverly,

Thanks for the kind words about the AMK Comprehensive Guide.  We are working on a 4th edition of the book that will be available sometime in the next year; we have also updated our Wilderness Medicine and Survival pamphlet to include the recent CPR guidelines and will be educating consumers about updated CPR techniques via our blog.

Content from AMK’s A Comprehensive Guide To Wilderness & Travel Medicine, 3rd Edition, penned by Eric A. Weiss, MD, is now available for download via a new iPhone application called iMedjet.

Developed by MedjetAssist, a Birmingham, Alabama-based company offering emergency medical evacuation services to travelers, iMedjet includes The Guide’s easy-to-access info on diagnosing and treating fractures and dislocations, allergic reactions, altitude sickness, insect stings, snake bites and heart attacks, among other potentially life threatening emergencies.Like the book, the app also features helpful illustrations and special sections on preparing for foreign travel and treating common travel-related diseases.

by Eric A. Weiss, M.D. (excerpt from his book,
A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine)

VENOMOUS SNAKE BITES

There are two classes of poisonous snakes in the United States:

• Pit Vipers (rattlesnakes, cottonmouths [water moccasins], and copperheads) have a characteristic triangular head, a deep pit (heat receptor organ) between the eye and nostril, and a catlike, elliptical pupil.

• Elapids (coral snakes) are characterized by their color pattern with red, black, and yellow or white bands encircling the body. The fangs are short — these snakes bite by chewing rather than by striking.

Best Way to Handle Mountain Bike Road Rash

Question:
Riding a mountain bike on the desert trails, from time to time I take a spill. It’s rocky here (Phoenix, AZ) and I get bruises and scrapes. What is the best way to treat the scrapes and what it the best pain medication for the soreness from the bruises?
Thanks, Ravi

Answer:
Ravi,
I have been there and done that. Here is an excerpt from our book, A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine on abrasions:

Dr. Weiss Advice – Improvisational Technique – Wound Irrigation Using a Plastic Bag and Safety Pin

Fill a clean plastic sandwich or garbage bag with disinfected water and puncture the bottom of the bag with a safety pin or pointy knife. Hold the bag just above the wound and squeeze the top firmly to being irrigating.

Carry a first aid kit with wound irrigation supplies!

Learn more wilderness medicine, improvised techniques and first aid tips – click here for Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine.

Dr. Weiss Advice – Improvisational Technique – Quick Relief of Dental Pain

Bleeding and pain from the mouth can often be relieved by placing a moistened tea bag onto the bleeding site or into the socket that is bleeding.

Carry a Dental Medic with you!

Learn more improvisational techniques and first aid tips – click here for Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine.

Dr. Weiss Advice – Improvisational Technique – Making a Sling with Safety Pins

If the victim is wearing a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, pin the sleeved arm to the chest portion of the garment with two safety pins. If the victim is wearing a short-sleeved shirt, fold the bottom of the shirt up and over the arm to create a pouch. Pin this to the sleeve and chest section of the shirt to immobilize the arm.

Learn more improvisational techniques and first aid tips – click here for Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine.

Dr. Weiss Advice – Improvisational Technique – Creating Ankle Support Using a SAM Splint

Wrap a SAM Splint around the foot and ankle, with the shoe in place and secure it with tape. This will help stabilize the joint while walking. You may need to stop periodically to tighten or re-wrap the splint.

You can buy a SAM splint here.

Learn more improvisational techniques and first aid tips – click here for Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine.

Dr. Weiss Advice – Improvisational Technique – Replacing a Lost Filling

Melt some candle wax and allow it to cool until it is just soft and pliable. Place the wax into the cavity or lost filling site and smooth it out with your finger. Have the victim bite down to seal the wax in place and remove any excess wax.

Check out our Dental Medic kit here.

Learn more improvised techniques and first aid tips – click here for Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine.