Major Injuries and Illnesses
THE KEY TO DEALING WITH MAJOR INJURIES AND ILLNESSES is to prevent them
from occurring (to the extent that you can). Should you or anyone in
your party suffer from the following maladies, you need to act quickly
and decisively; in the wilderness, injuries and illnesses can become life
threatening very quickly.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a serious risk in the world’s hot and dry regions, and one
that can kill you within a few days. Finding protection from the wind and
sun will slow the rate at which you lose water, but you will eventually need
to get to a water source. If your only choice is to drink unpurified water, do
it. I’d rather take my chances with parasites than die of dehydration.
Since you also lose valuable salts when you dehydrate, you should
consider including an overthecounter electrolyte replacement product
in your firstaid kit. If you don’t have one, add a quarterteaspoon of salt
to a quart (liter) of water.
Dehydration victims should drink frequently, and in small amounts.
Hypothermia and Frostbite
Once again I have asked my friend Gordon Giesbrecht, PhD, professor of
thermophysiology, to chime in on how to handle hypothermia and frostbite:
Hypothermia: A hypothermic victim takes a while to become that way
(anywhere from one hour to several days). It is critical to treat a cold
victim as gently as possible. Quick, rough actions could be fatal due to
changes in core temperature, blood pressure, and work required by the
heart. Follow these steps:
Handle the victim as gently as possible.
Keep the victim horizontal.
Don’t let the victim walk or struggle.
Get the victim to shelter as soon as possible.
Once in shelter, consider removing the victim’s wet clothing, usually by
cutting it off.Survival First Aid (^) | 305