Release of the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual

20th May 2019NickExpedition & Wilderness Medicine, Extreme medicine, Paediatric Care, Pre-hospital Care, Remote medicine, ResearchNo CommentsExpedition & Wilderness Medicine

A few months ago on the mainstage at #WEM18, Medical Historian Dr Emily Mayhew discussed her work alongside Save the Children, Imperial College London and a host of medical and operational experts in the creation of a new Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual.

The Manual, intended to be a comprehensive guide for local medical teams who are forced to operate on and treat children in remote environments and with limited training and resources, is the first of its kind to focus on paediatric blast injury from the point of wounding right through to the discharge of the patient from hospital, and beyond.

Last week witnessed the culmination of this fantastic team effort as the Manual was made available to the public. We caught up with Emily to see what she had to say about the release…

“I first spoke about the plans for our Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual at WEM’s conference in 2018. The interest and expert feedback I received from the WEM audience was really important in encouraging us to move forward with our concept of a Field Manual that could be used by all medical staff likely to encounter children injured by explosives – an incredibly challenging patient cohort. We hope the result will be used by both medics and those who are required to plan for the treatment of severely injured children, in terms of resources, training and equipment.

We’ve produced the Field Manual to support medics with technical information that helps them adapt their existing knowledge to the needs of children and also to provide confidence in what can be a very difficult moment for even the most experienced teams. We’ve incorporated sections on safeguarding, futility and psycho-social support – for the patients, their families and caregivers, and for the medics themselves who do this work.

We hope it will be useful. Please pass it around and come and find me at #WEM19 to share your thoughts”.

***

Why is this Manual needed?

It is estimated that today, a fifth of children worldwide live in areas affected by conflict. This equates to approximately 420 million children living in conflict zones (Save the Children define this as an area within 50km of where one or more conflict events took place in a given year). Children living in these zones face an increased risk of injury as a result of explosive weapons, as well as a shortage of equipment and specialist knowledge when treating such injuries.

The Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual is a durable, easy-to-use tool intended to bridge this gap, providing medical staff with the information needed to help make complex decisions about paediatric care.

The Manual is now available to download FREE from the Imperial College website.

Dr Mayhew will be at the World Extreme Medicine Conference in Edinburgh later this year and would love to hear your thoughts – grab your tickets here!

Heli-Rescue operation in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

15th April 2019Nickexpedition, Extreme medicine, Mountain, NepalNo Commentshems, Nepal, WEM

On April 8th 2019, a rhinoceros charged into a group of 3 tourists and 2 guides in Chitwan National Park, injuring a young Australian tourist. It quickly became evident that surgery would be needed to deal with the injuries, but the remote location (the national park is located 150km southwest of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal), meant that providing medical care would be tricky.

Luckily, a rapidly evolving HEMS team was able to provide assistance and ensure the effective treatment of those involved.

This is the story, as told by Dr Sanjaya Karki:

The rhinoceros injured an 18-year-old Australian male, biting his right thigh and striking him several times over his chest, abdomen and left leg. One of the guides, a 51-year-old male, intervened and he too was struck on his chest by the agitated rhino.

The rhino fled after the intervention, and the guides called local security personnel and local health workers. The injured were carried to safety inside the forest itself and the wounds were tended to. They called Simrik Air, a helicopter operator active in rescue services in Nepal, to request the evacuation of the injured. In light of the severity of injuries, the operator requested that the helicopter emergency medical service team of Nepal Mediciti Hospital assist with the rescue and provide necessary medical help. Nepal Mediciti Hospital and Simrik Air have collaborated for multiple successful medevac and rescue missions throughout the years.

The craft used for this mission was Bell 407GXP, call sign 9N-ALT, piloted by Captain Siddhartha Jung Gurung.

Soon after the information was collected from the dispatch centre, the medical doctor at the pre-hospital care department started to gather the best possible information from the ground. Within just a few minutes, the message was sent to the respected departments and with all the required equipment and gear, the team went up in the helipad.

The helicopter reached the exact location of the injured 25 minuted later. The team got to work immediately, with onboard medics from the HEMS team of Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Dr Abhijit Adhikary and Paramedic Ekadev Neupane stabilising the patients on-site before bringing them safely back to the hospital. The patients needed splinting of injured limbs, pain management and fluid resuscitation. One patient was placed on a mattress and the next was on a scope, and both patients were fitted with a monitor looking for vital signs throughout the journey.

On arrival at the ER, further lab investigations and imaging were completed. The young Australian tourist was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of shaft of the right femur with multiple deep lacerations. He was admitted and surgeries were carried out in multiple settings. The Nepalese guide was diagnosed with left-sided minimal hemopneumothorax, and was conservatively managed. Both the patients are recovering well in the hospital.

***

Collaborations between helicopter operators and Hospitals, like in this instance, have contributed to better patient outcomes in recent years. In Nepal, the first helicopter was introduced in 1964. Today, the HEMS team in Nepal now have more than 10 helicopter operators and over 30 helicopters. These helicopters are an essential part of pre-hospital care in Nepal as many areas are inaccessible via road and the vast majority of the terrain is mountainous or hilly.

Dr Karki stated that the medical evacuation was a “glowing example of how HEMS has advanced in Nepal”.

***

Sequence of events:

11:31 am – Call received from the Helicopter operator Simrik Air.

11:36 am – Call back made to Simrik Air confirming our preparedness.

12:26 pm – Helicopter landed in Nepal Mediciti Helipad and HEMS team dispatched.

12:50 pm – First contact made with the injured on-site.

13:22 pm – Take off after initial stabilisation, pain management, splinting and fluid resuscitation of the patients.

13:55 pm – Patients brought into the ER.

***

This incredible tale was highlighted by Dr Sanjaya Karki, former winner of the David Weil Extreme Medicine Award.

Other blogs that may be of interest, include:

Winners of the ‘David Weil Extreme Medicine Award’ (DWEMA) 2014.

The latest news, views and opportunities from EWM Towers

9th December 2015Mark Hannaford.Newsletter, Acute mountain sickness, Antarctica, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Everest, Everest Base Camp Mountain Medicine CME, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Nursing, Extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine EXPO, Extreme Medicine EXPO Boston, Himalayas, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', Jobs in Expedition Medicine, Kathmandu, Khumbu Valley, mountain medicine, Pre-hospital Care, Remote medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Vollebak, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Society, Wilderness Medicine Training, WMSDesert Medicine, ESA, Luangwa, mountain medicine, NASA, Nepal, Paris, pre-hospital, trauma, Vollebak, wild medicine

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

To take advantage of the World Extreme Medicine Expo early bird offer use discount code WEMEEARLYBIRD30 at the checkout.

Response to the Paris attacks

The medical response to multisite terrorist attacks in Paris reviews the coordinated effort from the emergency services and Assistance
Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP) .
The article offers the perspective of an Emergency Physician, Anaesthesiologist and a Trauma Surgeon, before offering a conclusion.

It’s clear no matter what the plan, it’s the people; doctors, nurses, emergency services, administrators, volunteers and many others, that enable a successful response.
View the FULL ARTICLE on the Lancet’s website.

Jobs and opportunities

The European Space Agency is once again looking for a doctor to join them for a year of research and experiments at the Concordia research station in Antarctica.
Click HERE to see the post on the ESA website.

Luangwa Safari Association Medical Fund need a doctor for 3-6 months to provide care for staff and guest in addition to providing care at Kakumbi Rural Health Centre.
Check out the full details HERE and to read a previous doctor’s blog written during her time in the role click HERE

Course pick

Mountain Medicine 2016 following another extremely successful course in Nepal trekking to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp.
The first piece of feedback we received told us “this was the most amazing trip I have been on” and it is comments like these we aim for and pride ourselves on.
Pre-hospital Trauma Workshops will continue throughout 2016. We focus on initial care around head injuries, chest injuries, traumatic cardiac arrest, blast and ballistic injuries. We’ll also touch on crew resource management and effective leadership on scene in the single and multi casualty scenarios.

“We treat athletes like NASA treats astronauts”.

Last month saw the launch of Vollebak, a new brand that aims to tackle the fundamental issues faced by extreme sports people.

Having lived through the highs and lows that come with racing and training in the world’s toughest environments, founders and adventure athletes Steve and Nick Tidball, started working on products and experiments to help athletes relax and survive.
Click HERE to find out more.

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine Courses

World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine and Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo.

Have you used ‘WEMEEXPO15SPECIAL30’ ? There’s only 8 days left to take advantage of this massive 30% off the Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo tickets. Full Ts&CsHERE

Dive Medicine – Raja Ampat

Only 1 space remaining!
From September 21, we’ll be spending 11 days exploring the under water paradise of Raja Ampat. Home to over 1,050 divers fish species, 537 coral species and 6999 mollusc species, this stunning location is considered by many divers to have the richest composition of sea life anywhere in the world.
During this exciting expedition you’ll be staying on the liveaboard Shakti, taking part in up to three dives per day, with up to two hours of CME per day – leaving you plenty of time to enjoy your surroundings and share experiences with your fellow delegates and faculty.
If you’d like to snap up the last space email us HERE and we’ll hold the space for the first person to get in touch.
For more information on this trip clickHERE.

Polar Medicine – New Zealand

In a little over two weeks we’ll be enjoying the snowy wonders of the Southern Alps, and we now have capacity for a couple more delegates to join us.
Our highly experienced team will develop your specialist skills with practical sessions giving you hands on experience of rescuing and treating cold water immersion, frostbite, altitude related illnesses and hypothermia. Essential cold weather skills such as building shelters, snowshoeing and dog sledding will all be included.
If you’re thinking of applying your medical skills in a cold environment, you can’t go wring by starting here.
For more information on Polar Medicine click HERE.
If you’d like further information on our Polar and Mountain courses the check out THIS LINK.

Kili’ medic opportunity

Action Challenge are looking for a medic to join their Kilimanjaro expedition June 30 – August 09 2015. The expedition will be following the Machame route. The medic must be a fully qualified doctor – altitudue experience and expedition medicine course attendance preferred but not essential. Expenses for the trip will be covered.
Contact James Holland +44 (0)20 7609 6695 for more info.

Conference news

Keep your eyes peeled for a special newsletter this weekend with conference announcements that you just wont want to miss!

Poster Competition Liaison

James Yates works for the Great Western Air Ambulance as a Critical Care Paramedic. James has worked nationally and internationally, as a clinician and educator, as well as spending time with HART and UK-Med.
After completing an Expedition & Wilderness Medicine course, James has worked on various events across the world and we’re please he can now use his skills to assist us.
To entre our poster competition for the Extreme Medicine Conference email usHERE

The view from EWM towers is a very exciting one and here's why.

12th June 2015Mark Hannaford.Newsletter, Adventure, Arctic Medicine, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Dog sledding, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine EXPO, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', International Extreme Medicine' Conference, medical training course, polar medicine, Remote medicine, Student Internship, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Training, WMSelectives, EWM, EWM interns, EWMi, exmed, expedition, expedition & wilderness medicine certificate, expedition & wilderness medicine diploma, expedition & wilderness medicine electives, expedition & wilderness medicine postgraduate, Expedition and wilderness medicine interns, expedition diploma, expedition medicine, expedition medicine certificate, expedition medicine diploma, expedition medicine postgraduate, extreme expo, extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine Conference, extreme medicine expo, extreme medicine masters, extreme medicine MSc, medicine, polar medicine, polar wilderness medicine, wilderness medicine certificate, wilderness medicine diploma

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

News and updates

The view from EWM towers is a very exciting one and here’s why.

Moving forward

We’re delighted to announce the development of a new postgraduate education programme in Expedition, Wilderness and Extreme Medicine where students will work towards a Certificate, Diploma and MSc.
Building on over a decade of successful evolving courses to highlight Expedition Medicine as a career option, we feel that now is the right time to take a step forward and offer a formal postgraduate programme that matches the increasing levels of clinical governance in this field. We think you’ll all agree that this is really exciting for us at EWM, but also for medics out there who wish to formalise the learning and skills they have picked up in this exciting field of medicine.
If you’re interested and would like to hear more news as we announce it, be sure to sign up to our postgraduate mailing list HERE.

Next stop…
..New Zealand.

To be a little more precise we’ll be off to the beautiful Southern Alps for our ever popular Polar Medicine course. There are only a few spaces left so click HEREif you’re thinking of joining us.

Course News

We listen to our delegates and as part of our improvement strategy extended our next UK based course, to four full days. The course, which will be held in Dartmoor, will allow time for additional learning, a little more free time and greater networking opportunities. For more information visit our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine Dartmoor page HERE.

Interns/Electives

Great news for our readership who approach us about intern posts or electives. We are re-establishing our EWMi programme to accept an intern on each of our UK based courses. For more information on the application process click HERE.
If you have any questions about electives we’d recommend you take a look at what our great friends at Adventure Medic are doing. It’s a fantastic resource which contains accounts from returning medics, but check out their resources section for elective opportunities!

We want to hear from you

Your experiences: We love a good blog (or vlog) that shares your experiences with the wider world. EWM was born out of adventure and although we’re passionate about delivering high quality training, adventure is still in our soul and we enjoy reading your tales and admiring your photos.

Your photos: Photography is another passion of ours, bridging languages, sharing culture and stirring the deepest emotions. If you have a great snap you’d like to see appear in our newsletter then get in touch HERE

The view from EWM towers is a very exciting one and here’s why.

12th June 2015Mark Hannaford.Newsletter, Adventure, Arctic Medicine, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Dog sledding, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine EXPO, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', International Extreme Medicine' Conference, medical training course, polar medicine, Remote medicine, Student Internship, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Training, WMSelectives, EWM, EWM interns, EWMi, exmed, expedition, expedition & wilderness medicine certificate, expedition & wilderness medicine diploma, expedition & wilderness medicine electives, expedition & wilderness medicine postgraduate, Expedition and wilderness medicine interns, expedition diploma, expedition medicine, expedition medicine certificate, expedition medicine diploma, expedition medicine postgraduate, extreme expo, extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine Conference, extreme medicine expo, extreme medicine masters, extreme medicine MSc, medicine, polar medicine, polar wilderness medicine, wilderness medicine certificate, wilderness medicine diploma

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

News and updates

The view from EWM towers is a very exciting one and here’s why.

Moving forward

We’re delighted to announce the development of a new postgraduate education programme in Expedition, Wilderness and Extreme Medicine where students will work towards a Certificate, Diploma and MSc.
Building on over a decade of successful evolving courses to highlight Expedition Medicine as a career option, we feel that now is the right time to take a step forward and offer a formal postgraduate programme that matches the increasing levels of clinical governance in this field. We think you’ll all agree that this is really exciting for us at EWM, but also for medics out there who wish to formalise the learning and skills they have picked up in this exciting field of medicine.
If you’re interested and would like to hear more news as we announce it, be sure to sign up to our postgraduate mailing list HERE.

Next stop…
..New Zealand.

To be a little more precise we’ll be off to the beautiful Southern Alps for our ever popular Polar Medicine course. There are only a few spaces left so click HEREif you’re thinking of joining us.

Course News

We listen to our delegates and as part of our improvement strategy extended our next UK based course, to four full days. The course, which will be held in Dartmoor, will allow time for additional learning, a little more free time and greater networking opportunities. For more information visit our Expedition & Wilderness Medicine Dartmoor page HERE.

Interns/Electives

Great news for our readership who approach us about intern posts or electives. We are re-establishing our EWMi programme to accept an intern on each of our UK based courses. For more information on the application process click HERE.
If you have any questions about electives we’d recommend you take a look at what our great friends at Adventure Medic are doing. It’s a fantastic resource which contains accounts from returning medics, but check out their resources section for elective opportunities!

We want to hear from you

Your experiences: We love a good blog (or vlog) that shares your experiences with the wider world. EWM was born out of adventure and although we’re passionate about delivering high quality training, adventure is still in our soul and we enjoy reading your tales and admiring your photos.

Your photos: Photography is another passion of ours, bridging languages, sharing culture and stirring the deepest emotions. If you have a great snap you’d like to see appear in our newsletter then get in touch HERE

Antarctic Medical Conference 2015: Fight offer

8th May 2015Mark HannafordAdventure, Antarctica, Arctic Medicine, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Dr Alexander Kumar, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, polar medicine, Remote medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness MedicineAntarctica, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, expeditions, extreme, lindblad expeditions, Lindlblad, medic, medical, medicine, polar, polar medicine, Remote Medical

Free flights from Miami to Buenos Aires!

Antarctic Wilderness Medicine Conference

Secure complimentary flights from Miami to board expedition ship, National Geographic Explorer in Buenos Aires on 7th December for the iconic Antarctic Medical Conference, when you book with Lindblad Expeditions & mention Expedition & Wilderness Medicine’s medical conference.

Expect breathtaking scenery and huge photo opportunities on this voyage; whales, penguins & a multitude of seabirds: 7th – 20th December. With CME content accredited for 10 hours by the Wilderness Medicine Society and delivered by Dr Alex Kumar.

To read more about this life changing experience visit our Antarctic web-page HERE

This offer is time limited and due to expire 3oth June 2015, so don’t hang around.

Links

Antarctic Medical Conference

EWM course portfolio

EWM Facebook

2 Vacancies: Combined Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine / Emergency Medicine

17th July 2014Mark Hannaforddiving and marine medicine, Diving Medic, Diving Medicine, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, International Extreme Medicine' Conference, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, underwater medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness Medicine

Two 6 month junior / middle grade doctor posts available – one commencing Feb 2015, the other Aug 2015. Includes funded enrolment in Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare

DDRC Healthcare is a charity providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), training and research in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine and associated fields. In conjunction with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, we are looking to appoint two junior doctors for 6 month posts – one doctor to commence February 2015 and the other August 2015.

The post will be an average of 6 sessions per week at DDRC and 4 sessions per week in the Emergency Department. We are looking for Doctors with a minimum of 2 years experience post qualification. You must have full registration with the GMC or be eligible to become fully registered.

Derriford Hospital is adjacent to DDRC and is the largest teaching hospital in the southwest with a busy Emergency Department. DDRC provides HBO for elective and emergency patients for conditions including Decompression Illness, tissue damage secondary to radiotherapy and diabetic ulcers.

Training will be provided in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine and successful candidates will be encouraged and funded to enrol in the Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare run by the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.

There is no on call commitment for the diving aspect of this post however individuals will be encouraged to be involved in the management of diving accidents. The ED sessions may include some night shifts.

For application form and further information see Employment section www.ddrc.org

To discuss the job or to arrange a visit – please contact Dr Christine Penny – info@ddrc.org or 01752 209999

Closing date: 18.08.2014 (08.00) interview date: 05.09.2014

Courses and Conferences of Interest

Expedition Medicine Courses

Expedition Medicine Conference

Diving & Marine Medicine

2 Vacancies: Combined Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine / Emergency Medicine

17th July 2014Mark Hannaforddiving and marine medicine, Diving Medic, Diving Medicine, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, International Extreme Medicine' Conference, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, underwater medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness Medicine

Two 6 month junior / middle grade doctor posts available – one commencing Feb 2015, the other Aug 2015. Includes funded enrolment in Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare

DDRC Healthcare is a charity providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), training and research in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine and associated fields. In conjunction with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, we are looking to appoint two junior doctors for 6 month posts – one doctor to commence February 2015 and the other August 2015.

The post will be an average of 6 sessions per week at DDRC and 4 sessions per week in the Emergency Department. We are looking for Doctors with a minimum of 2 years experience post qualification. You must have full registration with the GMC or be eligible to become fully registered.

Derriford Hospital is adjacent to DDRC and is the largest teaching hospital in the southwest with a busy Emergency Department. DDRC provides HBO for elective and emergency patients for conditions including Decompression Illness, tissue damage secondary to radiotherapy and diabetic ulcers.

Training will be provided in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine and successful candidates will be encouraged and funded to enrol in the Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare run by the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.

There is no on call commitment for the diving aspect of this post however individuals will be encouraged to be involved in the management of diving accidents. The ED sessions may include some night shifts.

For application form and further information see Employment section www.ddrc.org

To discuss the job or to arrange a visit – please contact Dr Christine Penny – info@ddrc.org or 01752 209999

Closing date: 18.08.2014 (08.00) interview date: 05.09.2014

Courses and Conferences of Interest

Expedition Medicine Courses

Expedition Medicine Conference

Diving & Marine Medicine

New Vacancy: Now's your chance to go to Lesotho

30th April 2014Mark HannafordAdventure, Africa, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, expedition, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Jobs in Expedition Medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness MedicineAdventure, Africa, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition and wilderness medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, Remote Medical, travel doctor, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine

Fantastic short term opportunity in Lesotho: 12th – 28th July, 2014 Doctor required to join Connecting Communities Worldwide and a team of scouts on a sustainability project.

Adventurous doctor required to join 15 scouts in a magnificent, remote environment engaging with local communities, working on a variety of inspiring, sustainable development programmes.We begin with a visit to Cape Town | Table Mountain | Cape of Good Hope | Robben Island and departs via Johannesburg, with life changing wild life experiences along the way. Fully stocked med-kit and satellite phone provided.

Contact KEN DUNN at Connecting Communities Worldwide for more info:
E: kdunn”AT”ccwltd.org
T: 01709 717 111
M: 0752 852 9766

CCW Ltd is a not-for-project organisation so the successful applicant will need to cover their own flights and contribute towards costs (£500)

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine is the leading provider of training for medics working in remote and austere environments.

New Vacancy: Now’s your chance to go to Lesotho

30th April 2014Mark HannafordAdventure, Africa, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, expedition, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Jobs in Expedition Medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness MedicineAdventure, Africa, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, expedition and wilderness medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, Remote Medical, travel doctor, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine

Fantastic short term opportunity in Lesotho: 12th – 28th July, 2014 Doctor required to join Connecting Communities Worldwide and a team of scouts on a sustainability project.

Adventurous doctor required to join 15 scouts in a magnificent, remote environment engaging with local communities, working on a variety of inspiring, sustainable development programmes.We begin with a visit to Cape Town | Table Mountain | Cape of Good Hope | Robben Island and departs via Johannesburg, with life changing wild life experiences along the way. Fully stocked med-kit and satellite phone provided.

Contact KEN DUNN at Connecting Communities Worldwide for more info:
E: kdunn”AT”ccwltd.org
T: 01709 717 111
M: 0752 852 9766

CCW Ltd is a not-for-project organisation so the successful applicant will need to cover their own flights and contribute towards costs (£500)

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine is the leading provider of training for medics working in remote and austere environments.

URGENT! Female Doctor required for Vietnam trek, 14-23 March

6th March 2014Mark HannafordAdventure, CME, cme travel, CME Travel, expedition, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Jobs in Expedition Medicine, Remote medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Vietnam, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness Medicine

LATE CALL! We have an opportunity for a female doctor to join the Prince’s Trust Women’s Leadership Group, trekking through rural northern Vietnam, raising money for disadvantaged young people in the UK.

If you are available, 14th – 23rd March and can provide medical support to a group of mixed nationalities, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send your CV, location and brief note expressing your interest to: admin AT expeditionmedicine.co.uk by Sunday 9th March, 2014.

Additional Information & Training:

Expedition & Wilderness Medicine

World Extreme Medicine Expo

EWM’s Wild Medicine Course Changed our Lives

1st March 2014Mark HannafordAfrica, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Conservation Medicine, Desert Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Expedition Nursing, Extreme medicine, International Extreme Medicine' Conference, medical training course, namibia, Pre-hospital Care, Remote medicine, Trauma and Hostile Medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Wild Medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Society, Wilderness Medicine Training, WMSAdventure, Africa, Conservation Medicine Conference, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, expedition medicine jobs, extreme medicine, medic, namibia, pre hospital care, remote medic, remote medical training, Remote medicine, Travel, travel doctor, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine, wilderness medicine training

We know that education opens doors and as the EWM crew are both interested and a bit nosey, we love to hear what our alumni get up to after attending our courses. Naturally then, we were delighted to hear from Ian P, who told us he and his wife loved the 2013 Wild Medicine course so much, they’re busy packing up in the UK and moving to Namibia…

Not many things you can say that change your life! Attending the Wild Medicine course was one of those events. Amazing set of people and a fantastic opportunity to learn about conservation and desert medicine.

The kind of odd things we learnt…
– Take blood from a cheetah,
– Learn about (and touch – optional) many poisonous snakes,
– Sleep in a desert, walk 14km through a dry river canyon,
– What are the problem animals with Rabies? (A: Kudu),
– How can carnivores live outside conservation areas & not get killed by farmers &
villagers?
– How to build a vineyard in a desert … what?!..

And the thing that changed our lives? Meet the Bushmen and see their need for healthcare! My wife and I are volunteering at Naankuse to run the Bushmen medical services. The real thing we learned? There are many people out there that can benefit from our skills …

Oh and by the way Namibia is amazing you get to see loads … but you can also get a 4×4 and do a week or so trip before the course.

Other courses of interest:
Remote Medicine
Extreme Medicine Conference

This years Wild Medicine Course

EWM's Wild Medicine Course Changed our Lives

1st March 2014Mark HannafordAfrica, CME, CME Training, cme travel, CME Travel, Conservation Medicine, Desert Medicine, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Expedition Nursing, Extreme medicine, International Extreme Medicine' Conference, medical training course, namibia, Pre-hospital Care, Remote medicine, Trauma and Hostile Medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Wild Medicine, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Society, Wilderness Medicine Training, WMSAdventure, Africa, Conservation Medicine Conference, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Doctor, expedition medic, expedition medicine, expedition medicine jobs, extreme medicine, medic, namibia, pre hospital care, remote medic, remote medical training, Remote medicine, Travel, travel doctor, wilderness medic, wilderness medicine, wilderness medicine training

We know that education opens doors and as the EWM crew are both interested and a bit nosey, we love to hear what our alumni get up to after attending our courses. Naturally then, we were delighted to hear from Ian P, who told us he and his wife loved the 2013 Wild Medicine course so much, they’re busy packing up in the UK and moving to Namibia…

Not many things you can say that change your life! Attending the Wild Medicine course was one of those events. Amazing set of people and a fantastic opportunity to learn about conservation and desert medicine.

The kind of odd things we learnt…
– Take blood from a cheetah,
– Learn about (and touch – optional) many poisonous snakes,
– Sleep in a desert, walk 14km through a dry river canyon,
– What are the problem animals with Rabies? (A: Kudu),
– How can carnivores live outside conservation areas & not get killed by farmers &
villagers?
– How to build a vineyard in a desert … what?!..

And the thing that changed our lives? Meet the Bushmen and see their need for healthcare! My wife and I are volunteering at Naankuse to run the Bushmen medical services. The real thing we learned? There are many people out there that can benefit from our skills …

Oh and by the way Namibia is amazing you get to see loads … but you can also get a 4×4 and do a week or so trip before the course.

Other courses of interest:
Remote Medicine
Extreme Medicine Conference

This years Wild Medicine Course

NEEDED: Medical Professionals to support Fundraising Marathon (May 2014)

20th February 2014Mark HannafordAfrica, CME, CME Training, cme travel, Extreme medicine, Jobs in Expedition Medicine, marathon, Wilderness MedicineAfrica, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, health, job, jobs, marathon medical support, medic, medic job, medicine, pre hospital care, race director, remote medic jobs, sierra leone, wilderness medicine

STREET CHILD are looking for assorted medics and also a Medical Director* to provide cover for this fundraising event in the world’s 10^th poorest country and help improve the lives of vulnerable children in West Africa.

POSITION NOW FILLED *

The Street Child of Sierra Leone Marathon 2014 is an ambitious project and we need medical help to stage it. It’s more than just a run. We invite runners to join Street Child in Makeni, Sierra Leone to see and assist with the work we do in country, and to get involved with the local community. All of this takes place in a developing country with a basic medical infrastructure.

The race covers tough but beautiful terrain, invariably with high temperatures and humidity. The route is classed as a category “black” marathon – a marathon where serious consideration should be taken to safety provision. For this reason medical support is vital. Over the last 2 years, under the guidance of the Medical Director, groups of medical professionals from across the world have travelled to Sierra Leone to help out. When joined by local medics and nurses, mining corporation paramedics and medical students, this team have provided essential cover to the marathon. More importantly, previous teams can testify that they have have had an amazing adventure, providing a great talking point for grand rounds on their return!

Most of the action for the medical team takes place on race day, where teams set up makeshift medical stations around the course, providing first line medical care to the runners. This is co-ordinated from Medical HQ, the headquarters for ongoing treatment, and communication centre to each of the medical stations.

Sierra Leone is very much a developing country – supplies and equipment are limited and expertise is varied. This is a challenge, but one worth taking on. Outside of race day, the medical team will be involved in procuring equipment, medical briefings to international runners, and manning clinics offered to local runners on registration day. Another important job for the team is spending time chatting to the runners before the race, providing reassurance and advice, usually over a local beer!

We would like people who like the sound of this event to travel out to Sierra Leone for between 1 and 2 weeks to help us organise the 2014 Sierra Leone Marathon. We do ask that you fund your own trip (flights and accommodation only, all transport and meals will be free) but in return we will give you your own ‘experience of a lifetime’ seeing and assisting with Street Child projects in urban and rural Sierra Leone, taking part in a week of festivities in Makeni and you still get to finish on a high joining our West African beach party and 2 night beach hut retreat!

Dates are pretty flexible, the marathon is on Sunday 25th May so an 8 day trip could fly Wed 21^st May and return Wed 28th May 2014. Direct 6 hour flights from London are available from Gambia Bird Airlines and BA.

For more information, photos and videos please look at www.sierraleonemarathon.com and www.facebook.com/sierraleonemarathon.

To enquire or apply please send your details to info@sierraleonemarathon.com.

*For applications to the role of Medical Director, the role will be to provide leadership and direction to the medical team. A return flight from London will also be provided. Minimum dates Mon 19^th – Wed 28^th May 14.

Courses of Interest

Remote Medicine
Extreme Medicine Conference

Speakers at the Extreme Medicine Conference

16th December 2011Mark HannafordExpedition & Wilderness Medicine, Extreme medicine, Extreme Medicine EXPO, Wilderness medical trainingextreme medicine, pre hospital care, remote medicine training, Royal Society of Medicine

Experience the cutting edge knowledge of the global leaders in remote extreme medicine at the International World Extreme Medicine Conference & EXPO

Our speakers will be sharing their state-of-the-art operational best practices and experience, and are ideally placed to provide expert knowledge to delegates within the areas of:

Expedition and Wilderness Medicine | Pre-Hospital Medicine | Disaster and Relief Medicine | Pre-Hospital and Disaster Medicine

It is a unique opportunity to gain knowledge from the world’s most experienced and senior extreme medicine professionals, and will also give many valuable practical learnings:

How to assess practical strategies for the pre-hospital care of trauma patients
How to identify world class practices for quicker and better diagnosis
Discovering effective techniques that will improve your medical skills in extreme conditions

The speaker line up includes:

International emergency ‘Legend’, Professor Anthony Redmond OBE
‘Professor Popsicle’ your hypothermia expert, Dr Gordon Giesbrecht
The world’s leading toxinologist, Professor David Warrell
Professor Mike Grocott, Director & Leader of Caudwell Xtreme Everest Expedition
Dr Greg Ciottone recognized expert in Disaster Medicine and Emergency Management, international healthcare policy and infrastructure-building

Extreme Medicine 2012

Nepal Mountain Medicine leader featured in Smithsonian article

12th June 2011Mark HannafordAcute mountain sickness, CME, CME Training, Dr Luanne Freer, Everest, Everest Base Camp, Everest Base Camp Mountain Medicine CME, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Facualty, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Khumbu Valley, medical training course, mountain medicine, Nepal, travel doctor, Wilderness Medicineeverest base camp, everest er, expedition medic jobs, expedition medical training, luanne freer, mountain medicine, nepal medicine, wilderness medic training, wilderness medical society, WMS

Dr Luanne Freer, leader of this years Nepal CME accredited Wilderness Mountain Medicine course in Nepal, has been written up in a brillant article on the illustrouis Smithsonian website in an article entitled ‘Inside the ER at Mt. Everest’ by Molly Loomis.

A middle-aged woman squats motionless on the side of the trail, sheltering her head from the falling snow with a tattered grain sack.

Find out more about Mountain Medicine in Nepal

Luanne Freer, an emergency room doctor from Bozeman, Montana, whose athletic build and energetic demeanor belie her 53 years, sets down her backpack and places her hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Sanche cha?” she asks. Are you OK?

The woman motions to her head, then her belly and points up-valley. Ashish Lohani, a Nepali doctor studying high-altitude medicine, translates.

“She has a terrible headache and is feeling nauseous,” he says. The woman, from the Rai lowlands south of the Khumbu Valley, was herding her yaks on the popular Island Peak (20,305 feet), and had been running ragged for days. Her headache and nausea indicate the onset of Acute Mountain Sickness, a mild form of altitude illness that can progress to High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a swelling of the brain that can turn deadly if left untreated. After assessing her for HACE by having her walk in a straight line and testing her oxygen saturation levels, the doctors instruct her to continue descending to the nearest town, Namche Bazaar, less than two miles away.

Freer, Lohani and I are trekking through Nepal’s Khumbu Valley, home to several of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. We are still days from our destination of Mount Everest Base Camp and Everest ER, the medical clinic that Freer established nine years ago, but already Freer’s work has begun. More than once as she has hiked up to the base camp, Freer has encountered a lowland Nepali, such as the Rai woman, on the side of the trail ill from altitude. Thankfully, this yak herder is in better condition than most. A few weeks earlier, just before any of the clinics had opened for the spring season, two porters had succumbed to altitude-related illnesses.

Each year over 30,000 people visit the Khumbu to gaze upon the icy slopes of its famed peaks, traverse its magical rhododendron forests and experience Sherpa hospitality by the warmth of a yak dung stove. Some visitors trek between teahouses, traveling with just a light backpack while a porter carries their overnight belongings. Others are climbers, traveling with a support staff that will aid them as they attempt famous peaks such as Everest (29,029 feet), Lhotse (27,940 feet) and Nuptse (25,790 feet). Many of these climbers, trekkers and even their support staff will fall ill to altitude-induced ailments, such as the famed Khumbu cough, or gastro-intestinal bugs that are compounded by altitude.

A short trip with a group of fellow doctors to the Khumbu in 1999 left Freer desperate for the chance to return to the area and learn more from the local people she had met. So in 2002 Freer volunteered for the Himalayan Rescue Association’s Periche clinic—a remote stone outpost accessed by a five-day hike up to 14,600 feet. Established in 1973, Periche is located at an elevation where, historically, altitude-related problems begin to manifest in travelers who have come up too far too fast.

For three months, Freer worked in Periche treating foreigners, locals and even animals in cases ranging from the simple—blisters and warts—to the serious, instructing another doctor in Kunde, a remote village a day’s walk away, via radio how to perform spinal anesthesia on a woman in labor. Both the woman and the baby survived.

Find out more about the Nepal CME accredited Wilderness Mountain Medicine course in Nepal attendance of this course will count toward a FAWN degree.

Attend the Extreme Medicine – ‘Taking Medicine To The Extremes’ EXPO
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Inside-the-ER-at-Mt-Everest.html#ixzz1P5kT5eFy

International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo' – London 2012

15th March 2011Mark HannafordCME, CME Training, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Societyexpedition medicine, extreme medicine conference and expo, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', pre hospital care, remote medics, wilderness medicine

International Extreme Medicine EXPO- Expedition & Wilderness | Tactical | Disaster Medicine

‘Taking Medicine To The Extremes’

A major new International ‘World Extreme Medicine conference and EXPO’ series with the first inaugural event in London April 2012 followed by Salt Lake City in September 2012 with the very best speakers from around the world, leading figures from the world of expedition and wilderness travel, displays from focused industry leaders and also awards. All CME accredited on a modular basis to allow you select just a day or to attend the entire medical expo.

Over the last ten years the care of casualties in a remote environment has come a long way. This has been driven by conflict, the apparent exponential rise in natural disasters and our capacity to respond on an international scale and not least by the evolving interest in the field of expedition and wilderness medicine. The conference concept was generated out of a desire to amalgamate the associated specialties in this field and to share the skills and knowledge we have acquired. It will run over 4 days and involve some of the major specialists in their field of remote and austure medicine.

Developed specifically with medical professionals in mind the International ‘World Extreme Medicine EXPO’ will also be of interest to other medical specialists and students for which there will be a discounted rate.

To pre-register your interest for ‘Extreme Medicine’ email us here.

Extreme Medicine Conference and Expo

International ‘World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo’ – London 2012

15th March 2011Mark HannafordCME, CME Training, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Societyexpedition medicine, extreme medicine conference and expo, International 'World Extreme Medicine Conference & Expo', pre hospital care, remote medics, wilderness medicine

International Extreme Medicine EXPO- Expedition & Wilderness | Tactical | Disaster Medicine

‘Taking Medicine To The Extremes’

A major new International ‘World Extreme Medicine conference and EXPO’ series with the first inaugural event in London April 2012 followed by Salt Lake City in September 2012 with the very best speakers from around the world, leading figures from the world of expedition and wilderness travel, displays from focused industry leaders and also awards. All CME accredited on a modular basis to allow you select just a day or to attend the entire medical expo.

Over the last ten years the care of casualties in a remote environment has come a long way. This has been driven by conflict, the apparent exponential rise in natural disasters and our capacity to respond on an international scale and not least by the evolving interest in the field of expedition and wilderness medicine. The conference concept was generated out of a desire to amalgamate the associated specialties in this field and to share the skills and knowledge we have acquired. It will run over 4 days and involve some of the major specialists in their field of remote and austure medicine.

Developed specifically with medical professionals in mind the International ‘World Extreme Medicine EXPO’ will also be of interest to other medical specialists and students for which there will be a discounted rate.

To pre-register your interest for ‘Extreme Medicine’ email us here.

Extreme Medicine Conference and Expo

Treatment of cholera in active malaria zone

3rd March 2011Mark HannafordCME Travel, expedition, Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, Expedition Doctor, Expedition Medicine, Extreme medicine, Jungle medicine, medical training course, Pre-hospital Care, Remote medicine, Travel, travel doctor, travel medic, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, wilderness medic, Wilderness medical training, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Medicine Trainingerik mclaughlin, haiti, malaria, pre hospital care

The treatment of cholera in an active malaria zone is a difficult matter. This is especially true with lessons being learned in Haiti and their recent cholera outbreak. I am specifically referring to the combination of Chloroquine (antimalarial) and the antibiotic class Macrolides (used in treatment of cholera). A post that I made back in 2009 has new recent relevance and I wanted to repost that here:

Azithromycin, Chloroquine and Arrythmias:

Travel medicine frequently uses medicines that are taken under special circumstances and for short periods of time, like a trip. Many travelers carry an antidiarrheal antibiotic on their trip and a common choice is azithromycin. This can potentially be a problem when they are also traveling in a malaria area and using chloroquine for prevention. Two very commonly used medicines chloroquine (antimalarial) and azithromycin(macrolide antibiotic used for respiratory infections and diarrhea) both have wonderful safety profiles, individually. However when taken together, there is discussion of the chance of a heart arrhythmia, specifically prolonging the QT interval. In fact, my software I use for prescribing cites this as a combination to avoid.

There are several important articles that can be used to look at this problem and evaluate the risks. One very good paper looks at medications that prolong this QT interval:

“What clinicians should know about the QT Interval” by Sana M. Al-Khatib, et al.

These authors list azithromycin as a “very improbable” medication, although other macrolides are listed as higher risk. Chloroquine is listed as an “Unknown” medication, with respect to prolongation of QT interval. This article was based on expert opinions.

“Azithromycin/Chloroquine combination does not increase cardiac instability despite an increase in monophasic action potential duration in the anesthesized guinea pig” by Fossa, et al.

This study looked directly at this problem, in animal models. Their research showed no increase in arrhythmia risk.

“Lack of a pharmacokinetic interaction between azithromycin and chloroquine” by Cook, et al.

A wonderful article that is actually helping to look at using this drug combination to treat resistant forms of malaria. More about this combination and treating malaria here. Their study did show an increase in the QT interval in both groups of those who received chloroquine alone and those who received the combination of chloroquine and azithromycin. This QT interval increase was maximum on day number three and returned to baseline by the end of the study.

Most of the information I am finding looks reassuring for safely using this combination, in healthy individuals. Those with a history of arrhythmia should use this combination with caution and discuss this problem with their doctor, before they take these two medicines within a close amount of time.

Contributer: Dr Erik McLaughlin | www.adventuredoc.net

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To take advantage of the World Extreme Medicine Expo early bird offer use discount code WEMEEARLYBIRD30 at the checkout.

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The view from EWM towers is a very exciting one and here’s why.

Moving forward

Next stop… ..New Zealand.

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We want to hear from you

Free flights from Miami to Buenos Aires!

Two 6 month junior / middle grade doctor posts available – one commencing Feb 2015, the other Aug 2015. Includes funded enrolment in Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare

Two 6 month junior / middle grade doctor posts available – one commencing Feb 2015, the other Aug 2015. Includes funded enrolment in Postgraduate Certificate in Remote Healthcare

Fantastic short term opportunity in Lesotho: 12th – 28th July, 2014 Doctor required to join Connecting Communities Worldwide and a team of scouts on a sustainability project.

Fantastic short term opportunity in Lesotho: 12th – 28th July, 2014 Doctor required to join Connecting Communities Worldwide and a team of scouts on a sustainability project.

LATE CALL! We have an opportunity for a female doctor to join the Prince’s Trust Women’s Leadership Group, trekking through rural northern Vietnam, raising money for disadvantaged young people in the UK.

Additional Information & Training:

Other courses of interest: Remote Medicine Extreme Medicine Conference

Other courses of interest: Remote Medicine Extreme Medicine Conference

STREET CHILD are looking for assorted medics and also a Medical Director* to provide cover for this fundraising event in the world’s 10th poorest country and help improve the lives of vulnerable children in West Africa.

**** POSITION NOW FILLED *****

Experience the cutting edge knowledge of the global leaders in remote extreme medicine at the International World Extreme Medicine Conference & EXPO

Next stop…
..New Zealand.

Next stop…
..New Zealand.

Other courses of interest:
Remote Medicine
Extreme Medicine Conference

Other courses of interest:
Remote Medicine
Extreme Medicine Conference

STREET CHILD are looking for assorted medics and also a Medical Director* to provide cover for this fundraising event in the world’s 10^th poorest country and help improve the lives of vulnerable children in West Africa.

POSITION NOW FILLED *