 Any adventurer knows the danger that might happen during their trip in the

wilderness for a hiking expedition. A neophyte mountaineers must be more

cautious because of lack in experience. But a veteran climbers probably already
seen or experience some of the accident in the mountain. Learning from this
incident an experience climber equips himself with knowledge and skills on
responding and treating fellow hikers who will suffers an injury while trekking.
 Because of this knowledge and experience a mountaineer may become a first
aider or a rescuer in case of emergency in the wilderness.
 1. Wounds and Infections
 A mountaineer may suffer injury from animal bite, sharp equipment, rugged terrain
that may lead to cuts, scrapes and wound. A fellow hiker who knows how to treat
these injuries and prevent it from getting infected is a big factor to the group.
 Risk of Losing Blood
 A full grown human being has volume of 5 – 6 liters of blood in the body. A half liter
blood loss due to blood donation is tolerable and acceptable by our body but
losing 1 – 2 liters of blood can affect our body that may put a human being to a
state of shock. A blood loss of more than two liters may put someone in a very
serious condition.
 How to Control Bleeding
 Immediately apply direct pressure on the affected area and elevate the wounded
parts of the body above the level of the heart. Put or wear gloves before
administering and touching a bloody portion of the wounded area.
 Give the victim a piece of clean gauze and instruct them to put pressure on the
affected area while you are putting your gloves. If the bleeding doesn’t stop add
gauze without removing the existing one.
 If you are having problem in handling the affected area and cannot keep pressure
on it using the hands make a pressure bandage by putting a gauze over the wound
and wrap it tightly with a piece of cloth or triangular bandage. It should not be too
tight that you may be able to slide your two fingers under the wrap and ask the
victim if there is no a tingle or numbness.
 Preventing Infection
 When bleeding stop but the hikers plan to stay in the wilderness to finish the climb.
Think about of preventing the infection and promote healing.
 Using at least half liters of clean water will thoroughly washes the wounds and flushes
out any unwanted materials that have already settled in the affected area like dirt and
germs. If there is an available syringe its much better to use it because it has pressure
that can easily pull out dirt.
 Avoid using alcohol wipes to clean the wounds inside that may damage good tissue but
you can used alcohol wipes to clean the skin around the affected area. Now that the
wound has been clean you may apply antibiotic ointment. Regularly monitor the wound
probably once or twice a day to apply again ointment and check for signs of infection.
 If there is swelling, warmth, redness and puss its normal as the body can fight bacteria.
But if the signs deteriorate and the wounds became hot to touch has bright red color,
skin hardened, painful and itchy it is the sign that the body cannot fight anymore the
bacteria against the infection. When these things happened it’s time to step in by
opening the wound and clean it very thoroughly with clean water, soaking the wound
with warm water that a patient can tolerate is an additional remedy to fight infection.
Apply antibiotic and pain killer if available.
 If a wound is going to get infected, it will usually show up in the first 24-48 hours. You
should stop the trip and evacuate any patient where you can’t control the bleeding or
there are persistent signs of a bad infection.
 2. Burns
 Burns may happen or occur from making a fire, cooking, boiling, hot casserole or
using primitive tools. Long hours of skin exposure from the sun may lead to
sunburns even though more minor.
 The first action for treating burns is to kill or stop the burning of any part of the
body. As fast as possible cool the affected area with cold clean water until the
burning stop. Next step is to wash by scrubbing the area with clean water and used
antibacterial soap if available. This procedure may prevent infection if the burn is
much deeper.
 Immediately cover the burned area with antibiotic ointment and clean gauze or
clothing to protect the burn area. Pain reliever may help reduce the patient’s pain.
 For burns in extremities, keep the burned area elevated to reduce swelling. For
more long-term care, it’s important to keep the patient warm and well-hydrated
since the major risks to life are fluid loss. Evacuate any burn patient if the burn:
 If the burns occur in the extremities elevate it above the level of the heart to reduce
swelling. Wrap the body to keep him warm and focus on hydrating the patient. But
if the burns exposes deep layers of skin or bone or if it is in the sensitive area like
face, groin, armpit, hands or feet. Evacuate the patient and bring him to the nearest
hospital.
 3. Knee & Ankle Injuries
 From sprain, strain into more serious injury like fracture may happen during
trekking in the wild. It could be your wrist, elbow or shoulder but injury in your
lower extremities like knees and ankle has a major impact in your ability to
continue or finish your adventure in the wilderness.
 These injuries may occur from prolonged use and fatigue. Injury in your lower
extremities like knees and ankle will likely happen when trekking uneven terrain
or a slippery slope. When these things happen immediately stop and check the
severity of the affected area. Don’t try to ignore such injury because it can lead to
permanent or life-long injuries that will require going to a physical therapist.
 Being a first aider you don’t have the authority to tell if the injury is strain, sprain or
fracture. Only diagnose if the injured part is usable or unusable.
 "Usable" Injuries

 If the patient still has the ability to move the affected area and can put weight on it, just
support the injured part using tape or bandage. Having chronic injury in your knee or
ankle can put you in a situation or probability of injuring yourself. Better put strap on it
that you can easily buy in any sports house before heading to the mountain.
 If you decide to continue your climb and adventure to the wilderness be cautious and
carefully move the affected area and immediately address it when you reach the camp
by administering it with RICE acronym.
 R – rest especially when you feel pain.
 I – ice the affected area for 15-20 minutes 3 times a day alternate with warm water.
 C – compress by wrapping securely with an ace wrap, making sure circulation is
preserved
 E - have the patient lie down on a sleeping pad and elevate their feet on a backpack
or two
 If possible you may choose to take time out for a day to give the injured part a rest and
continue applying the RICE principle to reduce swelling and be able to proceed with
your hiking in the following day.
 "Unusable" Injuries
 If the victim is having a hard time or cannot move the injured joint and feels pain when
putting their weight on it, the joint is considered unusable immediate treatment is
necessary. Also remember that a usable injury can become unusable injury if not
treated properly or if the victim decided to continue the climb.
 Use splint to treat unusable joint to put the victim in a comfortable position.
 1. Ankle injuries, keep the foot at 90 degrees to the lower leg
 2. Knee injuries, bend the knee about 5 degrees from straight
 Keeping it tied tightly will help hold everything together firmly as you begin your long,
slow hike out. You will likely need to stop and readjust things often, whenever the
patient is sufficiently uncomfortable.
 Remember that you never want to tie anything so tight that the patient loses feeling in
their extremities. Check periodically to make sure you can slide two fingers into the
splint and that the patient can still wiggle their toes and has feeling in their toes when
you touch them.
 If the injury is so bad that there’s no way the patient will be able to hike out on it – like if
bone is protruding through the skin – you’ll need to send someone to fetch professional
help.
 4. Blisters
 Although not considered as emergency case, blisters are frequently experience by
many hikers due to a long trek in the mountain and a possibility of cutting your trip
in the mountain if not handled well.
 A blister may start from thick skin forming in your palm or feet when rubbed it
begins to separate from softer skin beneath. Blisters are formed inside the warm
and sweaty boots of a hiker.
 A blister that does not occur in your feet will not affect your hiking trip in the
wilderness. But if blisters will develop in the foot do not ignore it especially when
your sock is sweaty and dirty because it may lead to infection, painful feeling will
also be felt when the blisters is too big and might hinder your trip in the mountain.
 To ease the pressure drain the blisters carefully and slowly and consider treatment
as minor wound, this process may help to continue your hiking trip.
 Wash the area around the bilsters with clean water and an alcohol pad. Sterilize a
needle or any sharp object before using it; you may use alcohol, hot water or a
flame.
 5. Dehydration
 Water supports crucial brain function, keeps joints lubricated, and heals muscle
and normal function of digestive system. Same with blisters dehydration is not an
emergency case but need to be attended quickly if symptoms are present because
it will create and put yourself or the group in trouble.
 Some of the symptoms of mild dehydration are dry lips and thirst. Severe
dehydration is accompanied by fatigue, restlessness, soreness in the joints and
inability to make a right decision because the brain is beginning to malfunction.
Take note that even in cold area an individual can still experience dehydration. But
dehydration is most common in hot area and may lead to heat stroke.
 Observe this simple rule to avoid dehydration:
 1. Not peeing every 4-5 hours on the trail, you’re probably dehydrated
 2. Urine isn’t clear, copious and bubble-free, you’re probably dehydrated
 Bringing powdered sports drink to share with the group is a perfect decision or
consuming salty snacks like nuts during trekking is also good to keep yourself and
the group hydrated. Remember dehydration set in because we are losing
electrolytes like sodium and chloride while perspiring.
 6. Shock
 Shock is the body’s response to a sudden drop in blood pressure, in order to prioritize
blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. Shock is a common response to major
trauma or bleeding, or it could also be an issue with the heart not pumping enough, or
blood vessels dilating and not maintaining high enough pressure.
 Imagine that you’re trying to take a shower in a cabin on top of a mountain, and the
shower is fed with lake water from the base of the mountain. If you turn on the shower
head and nothing comes out, there could be three potential issues:
 1. The pump at the bottom of the hill ((heart) isn’t putting out enough force to move the
water adequately. 2. The water itself (blood) is leaking out of the pipe, or there just isn’t
enough of it. 3. The pipes between the pump and the cabin (blood vessels) are too wide
to maintain good pressure.
 In this analogy, you can think of the flow of water from the shower head as the flow of
blood to your body’s various tissues. While a non-functioning shower is a big
annoyance, if your tissues aren’t getting the blood flow they’ll need, that can cause life-
threatening issues.
 As a responder, you should look for signs of shock whenever there’s major injury or
someone is feeling really off. Symptoms include:
 anxiety or confusion rapid pulse and rapid, shallow breathing cool, pale clammy
skin weakness, dizziness, light headedness nausea and vomiting
 If you are able, you want to focus on treating whatever is causing the person to be
in shock. But also keep these treatments in mind for any patient that’s exhibiting
signs of shock:
 Keep the person calm and reassured by staying calm yourself it helps in
lowering their heart rate.
 61
 Try to reduce their pain and discomfort by having them lie down on a sleeping
pad in a comfortable position. Elevate their feet on a backpack (unless you
suspect a back injury) to keep blood in their core. Even if it’s not freezing cold,
wrap them in a sleeping bag and try to keep the patient warm and dry. If the
patient is able to drink on their own, make sure to keep them hydrated but never
force them to drink if they might choke.
 Any patient who is exhibiting signs of shock will likely need to be evacuated with
professional help. As you’re waiting for help to arrive, it’s a good idea to keep a log
of the patient’s heart rate and mental status every 10 to 15 minutes. You will be able
to hand this information off to rescuers to help their evaluation when they arrive.