Customer Reviews

Wilderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid, 5th Edition

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I lead canoe trips in northern Canada for the Science Museum of Minnesota. Many of our expeditions take us above the Arctic Circle. I'm no expert in Wilderness Medicine--and that's why I rely on this book. Doc Forgey knows wild places: he has a fly-in cabin deep in Northern Manitoba. Forgey understands that "evacuation", per se, is often not an option in a genuine wilderness setting. This book clearly and quickly pinpoints solutions to problems and tells you how to deal with them. Forgey provides a host of medical options: you can choose sophisticated Rx medicines, or stick with over-the-counter stuff. "Doc" lays out all options and provides alternatives. A superb index provides fast reference to problems--and, this handy little book fits right in your backpack. It's worth every penny--and each new revision is more thorough than the last. I also heartily recommend Buck Tilton's excellent book, Medicine For The Backcountry. Get them both and you'll be covered for everything.

Living out in the wild, in the wilderness, is a contest with Nature. Most of the time, man wins the contest, but sometimes ... stuff happens.

Chapter One is about Assessment and starts with that key question: scene safe? Then Dr Forgey takes his reader through the ABCD's, vital signs, levels of consciousness, head to toe examination, shock, respiration rates, heart rates, and CPR. (The numbers for chest compressions and breaths has been changed by the AHA since Dr Forgey updated this book, but that is a minor issue.)

Chapter Two is about body system management. The focus of this chapter is on the systems in the head but the abdomen and reproductive system are given sections as well. There is also a very good, short section on poisoning from food poisoning to shellfish poisoning.

Chapter Three covers soft tissue wounds and treatments ... and suturing and stapling.

Chapter Four covers orthopedic injuries from head to foot.

Chapter Five covers bites and stings and anaphylactic shock. Interest-ingly Dr Forgey finds that rubber suction cups are as worthless as mouth suction. His lone endorsement is the Sawyer Extractor (which is available from Amazon.com).

Chapter Six is on infectious disease. Dr Forgey lists the most signif-icant *wilderness* diseases for North America and the world should one be contesting Nature abroad.

Chapter Seven's environmental injuries include hypothermia, heat stress, high altitude related illnesses, and ... being struck by lightning. Step current is caused when lightning hass struck and the current spreads out like a wave across the ground and the victim's feet are different distances from the strike point. Since the body has less resistance than the ground, a circuit is completed.

There are two useful appendices at the end of the book.

I am EMS certified and as a BLS instructor. I had a few quibbles with Dr Forgey such as his choice of prescription medications to list in one of the appendices. However I had no major disagreements and found the book to be more easily readable than any EMS book I have read. Lots of nuts and bolts and no fluff.

Also as I write this review, I am preparing a first aid segment for a TCLEOSE course on mantracking. Dr Forgey's book provided me with a lot of detail and anecdotes to include. However just as the title says this book is about wilderness medicine *beyond* first aid.

I have several outdoor medical and first aide books and this one is the best. It really approaches topics that other books avoid like what to do if you cannot get to a doctor or hospital. The suggested kits in the back are also the best I have found. I only have two negative comments:

1. The techniques and advice in the text could be cross referenced to the medical kits better.

2. The references for more information are old or not very good. The website for the book seems to be underconstruction for at least a year and the major suppliers only offer about half of the items suggested. Most of the hard to find items can be purchased at Amazon or Moore Medical.

The other book to consider for dealing with a lack of traditional medical care is "Where there is no Doctor" but that is geared towards running a clinic in the third world rather than hiking.

Buy it because you are planning that trip where you'll be three days from civilization.

And keep it around cause life tends to throw things you're way when your'e out and about.

This is my most tattered book. I use it for every medical thing I come across. It not only can set you up to stabilize pretty much any situation and give you the time you need to get help. It will also tell you what to do when you step on an sea urchin or accidentally burn yourself making coffee the same way you make coffee everyday.

a fantastic reference

I actually owned and read a much earlier version- listened to the advice- set up my 'Traveling Medical Kit'- and really appreciated the clear and concise medical information- and NOW- an updated version- many new ideas interspersed with time-tested procedures and meds- If you spend any time at all in the 'boondocks'-or just travelin'- You need a copy of this book- >and get copies for your kids too-when they get out on their own! This manual is good, practical and will prove itself in the reading of it- and putting into practice it's wisdom- That Dr Forgey- he's something else!!

William Forgey, MD's Wilderness Medicine appears in an updatedfifth edition to provide the latest details on assessing medicalproblems while in the wilderness. It goes far beyond most first aid manuals, covering soft tissue care and trauma, infections and diseases which may evidence themselves far from medical care, and treatments which can take place in the field. END

With this book in hand, the novice to the expert can diagnose illness and when possible, provide on site treatment. It is a must for anyone who travels in the wilderness. It is an execellent reference source that is easy to use, and Dr. Forgey provides this information in a manner that anyone can understand.

First off, this is a great book. If anyone thinks this is just a glorified first-aid book, think again. Dr. Forgey's is quick to point out that some medical emergencies are best treated at a hospital by professionals, having said that he plays a "what if" game where evac is not possible and then provides detailed treatment strategies based on your level of skills and supplies on hand. It's a clever approach where plan A is better than plan B which is better than plan C which is better than plan D. Although, he'll point out that plan D is better than doing nothing. His sense of humor is not lost in this book which makes for a compelling read. It's a must have for laymen or practicing pro new to wilderness medicine. I couldn't recommend this book enough. My only complaint, if it qualifies as a complaint is that there isn't a 6th Edition with the latest in medical technology represented. Having said that, if a technique worked in 1999 it should still work in 2009 or 2019!

Favorite excerp from the book: "Red-hot branding irons and pouring gun powder into a wound and lighting it, while effective in killing germs and among Rambo's favorite techniques, also destroy good tissue." (Chapter 3 p.93 paragraph 2)

This one is a keeper, and at the current price, you should buy one for anyone that travels a lot...anywhere!


J.D.

It's no surprise that every reviewer has given this excellent and comprehensive book five stars.

Written by William Forgey, MD, former president of the Wilderness Medicine Society it goes beyond first aid, dealing with situations where you cannot merely administer initial care and then count on a rapid evacuation. Forgey writes with a light hand; he avoids jargon and has a dry sense of humor. For example (p. 157): "How do you calm a person who's just been bitten by a snake? Not surprisingly, just telling him to remain calm won't work."

There are seven chapters, beginning with assessment and stabilization, and going through body system disease symptoms, injuries, bites and stings, infectious diseases, and environmental injuries. There is an excellent appendix for putting together wilderness first aid/medical kits, both with prescription, and non-prescription meds, and with a bandaging module.

You don't have to be physician, nurse, or EMT to benefit from the book. All the information, is practical and hands-on; of value to the layperson who is interested in first aid and emergency medical situations. After an initial reading, Wilderness Medicine is a fine reference work.


A related website is: [...].

Dr Forgey provides assessment tips and treatment options for dozens of traumatic, infectious, and environmental ailments encountered outdoors. Recommendations for gear tend to focus on multi-purpose commodities. For example, Percogesic is listed as a possible treatment for muscle aches, a decongestant, or a sleeping aid. This outlook allows for an economical approach and also cuts down on pack weight. The author is quick to point to obvious and practical substitutions such as bandanas and duct tape for bandaging or sugar solutions as an antibiotic ointment. Also, the detailed medication recommendations are dividied into prescription and non-prescription categories, depending on the level of care being provided. Throughout the book the author tries to provide multiple treatment options dependent on the training and gear of the medic, referring frequently to the gear list in the back. Topics covered are numerous and detailed, with treatment ranging from the simple and mundane (vinegar on jellyfish tentacles) to the advanced (suturing techniques). Very happy to have it in my library.