Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities [Paperback]

James Wilkerson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1993

-- Over 180,000 copies of previous editions sold!

-- Includes a new chapter on common medical disorders at altitude, by Peter Hackett, Tom Hornbein, and Brownie Shoene

-- Offers more thorough coverage than basic first-aid manuals

A classic since 1967, Medicine for Mountaineering starts where first-aid manuals stop. Written and edited by ten climber-physicians who specialize in various fields of medicine, this fully updated edition offers expert information on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major and minor medical emergencies in the backcountry.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What do you do if you're 25 miles into the backcountry and a member of your hiking party develops appendicitis? Or if you're nearing the summit of a 14,000-foot peak and your climbing partner suffers a ruptured cornea from the altitude? If you thought ahead, you'd pull out your copy of Medicine for Mountaineering. This is probably the top book to carry for serious backcountry injuries. There are other titles that cover basic first aid, but not with this book's depth and specificity.

Ten M.D.s with a fondness for wilderness outings contributed to the chapters, and it shows: medical jargon abounds. But don't be intimidated by words like thrombophlebitis or pneumothorax--you might need to know how to treat blood clots in the legs or a ruptured lung. Most of the injuries covered have their origin in high-altitude mishaps, whether it be kidney infections from dehydration or blunt head trauma from falling rocks. Other ailments like appendicitis and heart disorders are less common, but if they strike in the backcountry, it's vital to know what to do. The range of medical advice stretches all the way to administering intravenous drips and performing tube thoracostomies (inserting a drain valve into a patient's fluid-filled lungs). Though the authors warn that such procedures should be performed by a trained physician, if it's a life-and-death situation miles from any hospital, these instructions could make all the difference. Other topics covered include: soft-tissue injuries, fractures, burns, gastrointestinal disorders, neural disorders, infections, allergies, heat and solar injuries, animal bites and stings, and cold injuries. A list of useful prescription drugs for mountaineering is also valuable.

Who could benefit from this book? Anyone venturing into the outdoors, but particularly those bound for remote locations who've already mastered basic first aid. Emergency medical technicians will find some of the topics familiar, but even they won't be expert in all the injuries outlined here. At 20 ounces, Medicine for Mountaineering is worth the extra weight in your pack. --Demian McLean

Review

An excellent book on treating mountain health hazards. -- Outdoor Photographer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 4th edition (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898863317
• ISBN-13: 978-0898863314
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - Very Comprensive!, July 24, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Mass, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities (Paperback)

To quote part of the book, this book is not of the attitude "don't do any harm until the docter comes, because in many wilderness setting the docter is not comming." This is not the book for general first aid and first time learners, rather the more advanced outdoor person who would be in situations where medical help is more than a day away. It explanis more advanced treatments, the backgroud anatomy, and how to address the entire patient not just cookbook first aid.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where is mine!, August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities (Paperback)

Here I am, ordering a replacement. Of all the books on health and first aid, this is the one I look to the most often. I live on a remote island and have used this book to judge the severity of injuries and the need for evacuation, or just the need for time. I am not a mountaineer, but my family does manage to get into scrapes....concussions, chainsaw injuries, broken glass and a recent allergic reaction. This last incident is what made me realize that my ancient copy was gone. This book has been better than any other book as far a raising my kids in a proactive way, especially when it comes to emergency room conversations!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable Book on the subject, April 4, 2008

By 

Jim Morrison (Hansville, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medicine: For Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities 5th Edition (Paperback)

I was an EMT until recently and a mountaineer going on 30 years. I was asked to do some research on first aid and wilderness medicine. Of the ten or so books I reviewed this one was the most authoritative and most complete. If you want a primer on the subject consider "Mountaineering First Aid" by the same publisher. However, if you want extraordinary depth and breadth this is certainly the best book for the lay person (or at my level of training)I could find. Well organized, well illustrated, excellent index. Too heavy for a day pack! 367 Pages of fine print.