Survival Medicine

Recently, we certified as Advanced Wilderness Expedition Providers, and many of the training scenarios involved dealing with those who are injured in falls. Whether you’re on a backcountry trail or in your own bathroom, a fall can seriously damage you, causing orthopedic injuries, bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that one in five falls results in a major injury. All told, falls account for millions of emergency room visits and over 800,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S. Joe and Amy Alton discuss some of the more common fall injuries and how to treat and prevent them. California wildfires have claimed at least a dozen lives and destroyed more than 1,200 homes. Forest fires are horrible, but a building fire is also. Every year, millions are at risk for, and thousands of people are killed or injured by, fires in the U.S. Many of these deaths and injuries can be prevented with some knowledge of the nature of fire. Joe Alton MD tells yo