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Wilderness First Aid Essentials

An introduction to first aid in remote places: trip planning, structured patient assessment, bleeding, wounds and improvised splints, spinal and head injuries, hypothermia, heat, lightning, altitude illness, bites, medical emergencies and evacuation decisions.

1 h 55 min 4 modules · 12 lessons 6 videos · 3 animations Intermediate

What you'll be able to do

  • Plan for remote-area emergencies: prevention, kit, communication and evacuation.
  • Assess a patient with a structured system and monitor them over time.
  • Manage injuries with limited resources: bleeding, wounds, sprains, fractures and possible spinal injuries.
  • Manage environmental emergencies: hypothermia, frostbite, heat, lightning, altitude illness and bites.
  • Recognize medical emergencies in the backcountry and decide when and how to evacuate.

Curriculum

1

Thinking wilderness

2 lessons · 19 min

⌄

Prevention, planning and a structured assessment.

  • What changes when help is far away8 min
  • The patient assessment system11 min
2

Injuries far from help

4 lessons · 36 min

⌄

Bleeding, wounds, splints and spinal injuries.

  • Life-threatening bleeding11 min
  • Wounds, blisters and infection8 min
  • Sprains, fractures and splinting10 min
  • Head and spine injuries far from help7 min
3

The environment

3 lessons · 28 min

⌄

Cold, heat, lightning, altitude and wildlife.

  • Hypothermia and frostbite10 min
  • Heat illness, hyponatremia and lightning9 min
  • Altitude illness, bites and stings9 min
4

Medical emergencies and evacuation

3 lessons · 24 min

⌄

Allergic reactions, medical problems and getting out.

  • Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)9 min
  • Medical problems in the backcountry7 min
  • Making the evacuation decision8 min

Final assessment & certificate

14 questions drawn from a bank of 17 · 80% to pass