Wilderness Medicine Case Studies | AWLS Archives - Advanced Wilderness Life Support

Do’s and Don’ts of Tick Time

by pat | Aug 12, 2021 | Outdoor safety, Wilderness Medicine Case Studies | AWLS, Wilderness Survival Tips | AWLS, Wildlife encounters

Tick season is in full swing. For such tiny insects, ticks can transmit a lot of dangerous diseases, including Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Tularemia. Here are a few tick Do’s and Don’ts...

Wilderness on the Highway

by pat | Aug 2, 2021 | Wilderness Medicine Case Studies | AWLS

Because “Wilderness” is defined as a situation more than one hour from definitive medical care, you can certainly encounter a wilderness situation along the highway. Consider this case of a holiday drive home.

Preventing and Surviving Cougar Attacks

by pat | Jul 24, 2021 | Injury prevention, Outdoor safety, Wilderness Medicine Case Studies | AWLS, Wilderness Survival Tips | AWLS, Wildlife encounters

You and your friend are biking in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains when you notice a cougar stalking you on the trail. Though you raise your bikes and shout in attempt to scare it off, it charges right at you. You continue to stand your ground and even strike...

Patients with Helmets: Remove or Not?

by pat | Jun 25, 2021 | Injury prevention, Treating injuries, Wilderness Medicine Case Studies | AWLS, Wilderness Survival Tips | AWLS

Imagine this. You are the first responder on a ski patrol team. You are called to the scene of a patient who has collided with a tree. You determine that he has significant enough risk for spinal injury that you would like to put him in a c-collar and on a spinal...