Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-2h6rp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-07T02:31:16.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Medical Aspects of Mountain Rescue by Helicopter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Georg Hossli
Affiliation:
Institute of Anesthesiology, Zurich University, Canton Spital and the Swiss Air Rescue, Zurich, Switzerland.
Christian Bühler
Affiliation:
Institute of Anesthesiology, Zurich University, Canton Spital and the Swiss Air Rescue, Zurich, Switzerland.

Extract

In summer, mountain accidents may include falls, causing contusions and open wounds; fractures and torn ligaments; external bleeding;internal bleeding in the head, thorax and abdomen; injuries to the spinal column and extremities; falling rocks causing skull injuries; and falls into crevasses causing additional hypothermia, frostbite and drowning. In winter, there are skiing accidents with fractures and torn ligaments; and avalanches resulting in asphyxia, hypothermia and frostbite. In addition, there are mountain sickness; pulmonary edema of high altitude; snow blindness; heatstroke; sunstroke; heart attack; diarrhea and vomiting; pneumonia; snakebite; drowning in torrents or lakes; and burns, explosions and cuts acquired in huts. First aid, medical support and transport to hospital may vary widely.

Type
Section Four—Air Rescue
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)