Minimum guidelines and scope of practice for wilderness first aid

摘要

People, both laypersons and healthcare providers who live, work, travel, and recreate in the outdoors have specialized medical training needs not met by traditional first aid programs. They care for patients in remote locations, in challenging weather, with questionable communication and support, limited equipment, and the need to make independent decisions on patient care and transport. As a result, medical and outdoor specialists developed wilderness medicine courses in an attempt to meet these needs. Initially the content for these courses was written independently and was opinion-based. Subsequently it has evolved based on evidence and experience. This process has led to a consensus about content and scope of practice (SOP) for wilderness first aid (WFA) providers amongst the leading training organizations.