Wilderness EMS is designed for EMS providers and leaders who deliver medical care in the wilderness, and those practicing wilderness medicine as part of a formal team. The textbook is a comprehensive, expertly-written reference ideal for this fast-changing and multidisciplinary specialty. This first-of-its-kind text provides specialized instruction and best practices for wilderness EMS practitioners and students – crucial information for the success of today’s rescue missions. A strong foundation in evidence-based medicine, clinical experience, and field applicability makes it especially useful for any EMS provider in a wilderness environment.Features:

• Addresses WEMS system needs: education, incident command, medical oversight, medicolegal considerations, equipment needs, research, and pharmacology, promoting strong skills in multiagency interactions and transitions of care. Extensive discussion of history of wilderness EMS, including first-ever comprehensive timeline.
• Covers wilderness, austere, and remote management of specific medical and traumatic conditions, including cold injuries and heat illnesses, lightning injuries, animal bites and envenomations, psychiatric emergencies, low-pressure altitude and high-pressure diving physiology and illnesses, drowning, infectious disease, and much more.
• Offers information on basic rigging and patient packaging; high- and low-angle rescue; swiftwater and open water rescue; use of ground and air-based rescue vehicles; caving rescue; Search and Rescue (SAR); mountaineering rescue; and wilderness management of special events and severe storms.
• Features a full-color format with abundant photographs, illustrations, tables, boxes, and references for further study.
• Includes the most comprehensive list available of WEMS Abbreviations for clear communication, and extensive discussion of optimizing language use for clarity in wilderness EMS operations and publications.
• Presents the expert guidance and knowledge of contributing authors from throughout the U.S., including physicians, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, statewide and local EMS medical directors, therapists, rescue team chiefs, pharmacologists, SAR team members, swiftwater rescue technicians, and many more.