Customer Reviews

Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to Emergency Medical Procedures and First Aid, 5e (Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to First Aid &)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have recently read a few books on first responder type medical aid for wilderness scenarios ... and this is BY FAR the best. If you are looking for a book that goes well beyond even advanced first aid, and presents the material in a pratical way using common languge ... this book is it. There is a balance with books like this on either being too elementary (i.e. "dumbed-down") or being too academic (i.e. filled with technical jargon that goes over the head of most people), but this book is a great balance between the two. The author has a gift of explaining things in a very straight-forward fashion.

This book covers almost every conceivable medical situation you will likely encounter in the field. The only downside is that the book is too big and heavy to carry with you during many of the outdoor activities where you might need it. It is ideal for a survivalist homesteader or other remote but relatively stationary situation, or even as part of a vehicle kit. It includes medications and dosages used to treat various maladies, and would prove an invaluable reference for anyone in an emergency situation away from traditional medical services. It is also a useful tool in creating an emergency medical kit targetted at specific activitied and situations, giving detailed information on the items needed for each type of emergency. Training is key, and no book will ever replace professional emergency medical personnel, but this book uses layman's language to describe medical emergencies and their treatments and can assist you when the professionals are not available.

As a Wilderness EMT and wilderness medicine instructor, I often find myself asking myself questions or being asked questions that I wouldhave otherwise never conjured up. Needless to say, I wouldn't carry this "bible of the backcountry" with me everywhere I go while out enjoying mother nature's splendor, but it certainly has its own spot in my emergency medicine library collection! Well written, easy to follow and understand, and the graphics are clear and concise. A great resource for any Wilderness First Aider, WFR or even WEMT!

Clif Castleman
Center for Wilderness Safety

VERY dissapointing! The first think I looked up was how to deal with a posionous spider bite. The book recommends ice, pain killers and getting the person to a medical facility. How about a suction extractor and a poultice made of mud, charcoal, clay or grated potatoe to pull the venom out to keep it from surging through the system??? Emergency after emergency is dealt with by stablizing and getting the person to a medical facility. I got this book hoping to learn how to deal with things where medical facilities may not be available.
Is this the best there is? I can't believe it got 5 stars!!!! Can anyone tell me where to get a REAL book on how to deal with medical emergencies! What a waste of money!

Dr. Auerbach has taken his bible of outdoor medicine, Wilderness Medicine, and has condensed it down into a terrific field guide in "Medicine for the Outdoors". Packed full of effective emergency treatment, this should be a standard on every outdoor bookshelf.

Organized into easily indexed chapters the book also has handy conversion tables, a "before you go" section, and chapters on water purification, casualty evacuation, medication and doses, and an extensive glossary.

When I received my copy I spent the next few days avidly reading it. Dr. Auerbach's writing style makes for a comfortable read, and I look forward to reading it again and again.

If you are anticipating being an expedition medic, or just want to have a safer camp...get this book.

There is nothing in this book that you don't need to know. You don't have to commit the book to memory but I would encourage you to know what's in it and how to find it quickly.

The first duty of Scout leaders or anyone in outdoor education is the safety and well being of young people at an age when they are poor judges of risk and have a propensity to overestimate their capacities. We need to know how to keep them safe and how to respond if they are injured or ill.

Medicine for the Outdoors is the work of Dr. Paul Auerbach - wilderness medicine pioneer and arguably the world's foremost expert on the subject. He explains the how and why of responding to nearly every possible illness or injury we are likely to encounter in a concise, step by step manner that is intended to be used on the spot - but don't wait for something to happen before you read the book.

Safety is not owning the right gear or having the right book. It is not having a well-appointed first aid kit. Safety is knowing how to prevent injury and illness and how to respond if it occurs.

Get the book, read through it, make notes and practice the skills before you need them. I have a Kindle copy that I can carry on a smartphone, iPod or similar device. I also have a copy of the book that lives in the first aid

This new edition is a standard handbook for anyone participating in outdoor activities or eco-tourism. Dr. Auerbach is an emergency surgeon and authority in wilderness medicine. He maintains a superb website called "Outdoor Health" (link in the first Comment).

Dr. Auerbach offers advice on both minor and major injuries, from shark and snake bites to lightning strikes, wound care, blister management and procedures for a being stranded by a snowstorm in your car.

His prose is clear and careful, and he is a great believer in prevention as well as a great resource for emergency treatment of patients far from professional medical care. An example of his writing:

"One gives up very little (nothing, really) and gains everything by wearing a helmet in the appropriate circumstances. Freedom of choice is a selfish concept when one considers that the head-injured victim forces loved ones or society to provide care and the financial resources to manage the injury and rehabilitation, and sadly, support for the disabled person, who might have avoided most of the injury by wearing a helmet.

"There is no excuse for not wearing a helmet approved for high risk (for head injury) situations. It is no different than wearing a seat belt in a car or washing your hands before you eat. Prevention is the name of the game. Having cared for many people with devastating head injuries, most of which would have been trivial or absent if a helmet had been worn, I can only hope that we do what it takes to mandate helmet use in every reasonable situation for which they would be of benefit. That is a necessary and appropriate use of the law."

If you are only a weekend hiker like me, or take on more challenging pursuits, get to know Dr. Auerbach, either on his blog or better yet on this excellent guide.


Robert C. Ross 2009

I bought this because it had great reviews and was touted as the best to have in outdoor medicine. Personally, I was kind of hoping for more of a "this is what you do if you are out here with no help and best ways to treat different possible injuries" kind of book. I was not looking for a "give some of the huge quantity of antibiotics you brought with you, use some of the extensive medical equipment you brought, and medivac immediately" kind of book. If I wanted something like that, at least it could have a list in the back of all equipment and medications used in this book and how to carry that much into the woods/mountains etc. A good first aid guide contains the same info without the medications. Feel like I wasted my money on this.

This is a great book that should be in every outdoor enthusiasts library. I've got several books on survival and emergency medical situations, but this one deals with things that aren't covered in any of the others. Really got me thinking about my needs and preparations for emergencies when camping and backpacking. It's also a good book to have around for household injuries and emergencies. After looking at this book, I added a couple more items to the house and camping first aid kits. After looking at several highly rated books on this subject, this is the one I choose. It's the best of the bunch. Great Book!

I have a number of medical references for wilderness/survival medicine. This is by far the best. I covers everything you can imagine. I have only written a couple of reviews on Amazon but felt compelled to write this one. The book is just that good.