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lars johansen
Trad climber
West Marin, CA
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Mar 25, 2015 - 02:06pm PT
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EMT-Paramedic/firefighter, 13 years-lars
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DanaB
climber
CT
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Mar 25, 2015 - 04:31pm PT
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RN, many years ER experience.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Mar 25, 2015 - 05:49pm PT
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EMT Basic
Wilderness EMT
Basic Life Support
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Advanced Trauma Life Support
Board certification in emergency medicine
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Mar 25, 2015 - 06:47pm PT
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SLR-How did you get your Board Cert. in Emergency Med.? I've got mine as well, but only after LOTS of time in class and the field.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Mar 25, 2015 - 11:55pm PT
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How did you get your Board Cert. in Emergency Med 3 year residency in New York
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Mar 26, 2015 - 07:35am PT
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Paramedic for the Los Angeles City Fire Dept. for 27 years. It's come in handy on more than a few occasions while climbing. I contend the best backcountry first aid kit it a simple roll of tape. It's all I carry and all I have ever needed.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2015 - 11:31am PT
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Thanks Mr. Crag!Great input.
Cragman brought up something that I have been thinking about adding to the thread, so let's expand the topic a bit. If you want to share some scenarios that you have encountered that were unusual and how you dealt with them, please do so. Let's make sure that we keep the discussion civil please, and not use any person's name or exact location so that we aren't invading anyone's medical privacy.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 26, 2015 - 01:24pm PT
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How many times have you needed to escape a belay, or ever heard of someone needing to do it?
Remember, it is always possible to construct a theoretical scenario in which no self-rescue is possible.
(Sorry about the thread drift - maybe start a separate thread and I'll delete this post).
[Edit to add:] Sorry if I missed your main and first point. Having someone die in front of you and not having the training to possibly help - that is pretty brutal. As I age and am around older people more, maybe I will get a clue and refresh my CPR training (I'd probably be OK with just looking on youtube).
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2015 - 02:15pm PT
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That's OK Clint - being as this is a climbing site and we are discussing scenarios, escaping a belay would be included I think.
I've never had to escape a belay before, but I've had to do a very fast lower of a partner that pulled a rock off, which hit the belayer to my left. Had to get the partner down and safe as quick as possible so that I could attend to the injured party.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Mar 26, 2015 - 03:19pm PT
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For chest compression only I'd do it on a stranger that didn't look healthy. I'd do full cpr on a buddy buried in an avalanche or anyone I knew wasn't diseased.
During the last cert I did for cpr the instructor ran through the results of some recent studies. Basically getting a pulse at the wrist is something like only 15% effective in an emergeny situation and even when tested by professionals in a hospital it was only like 30% effective. It makes me feel good because I've always had trouble checking a pulse at the wrist and I guess that's totally normal.
On another note for me this is all just like insurance or an airbag on a car or escaping the belay. I hope I'll never use it but it's nice to know what to do if it comes down to it. The only time I've ever really used my training is when a guy had a mini stroke next to me at Home Depot.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2015 - 03:30pm PT
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I used to have the same problem Fet, I have gotten better at it but I will go for the carotid pulse if I can't get it right away. You have to have your fingers very LIGHTLY on the wrist, and if your finger tips are trashed or calloused that makes it even worse :)
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2015 - 04:10pm PT
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Never have I had to however if I needed to do so I could. Sorry but you can know all the first responder there is to know if you can't get out of the belay and to the injured person what good is that training.
No reason to be out, WTF - I agree with you. Self Rescue by David Fasulo was one of the first books I bought when I started, and to be honest I need a refresher.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Mar 26, 2015 - 04:35pm PT
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The Wilderness first aid and EMT courses are fantastic, I recommend them to everyone.
I contend the best backcountry first aid kit it a simple roll of tape.
Batrock, I agree wholeheartedly.
People ask me about a simple backcountry first aid kit. I tell them:
1. Duct tape
2. Tube tent
If it's a minor problem, then duct tape can fix it.
Otherwise, you'll need shelter while you wait for help at arrive.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2015 - 05:16pm PT
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HAHA Crag, nice one :) I do that too! Had a bike vs. car that went to the hospital with a maxi on his chin.
My favorite item in my BLS bag - a roll of commercial grade plastic wrap. 101 uses.
And you're welcome for the thread, I don't post threads a lot but when I do, I like to think of things that are important and/or engaging.
We actually met briefly at Facelift a couple years back, but I am looking forward to talking to you more at Todd's gathering as well - I have some free time coming up and you have some hikes planned that I would like to be part of.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
therealmccoy from Nevada City
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Mar 26, 2015 - 05:28pm PT
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None, beyond non current CPR. I have done a bit of reading, basically enough to know that anything beyond the very basic I would be totally clueless for dealing with. I have however taken a self rescue class at least, I can confidently escape the belay and stabilize a person before going for help, which I figure (hope ? ) is enough, with the very basic basics, to cover 99% of the situations I will encounter. I haven't encountered that 1% yet, and hopefully I have the spare cash enough to have taken a few more courses before that situation arises...
I have always been into the idea of taking not just a WFR but some basic EMT courses, but it has been a matter of having both the spare cash and time, simultaneously, that has been slowing me down in that regard.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Mar 26, 2015 - 07:19pm PT
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EMT maybe 20 years ago, haven't used any of it a single time even though I have been present at many emergencies. What is needed is clear thinking and a willingness to act. What needs to be done is generally very simple and obvious.
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Mar 26, 2015 - 09:51pm PT
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There must be more EMT's then one thinks. So many times on a car accident call I've had a lot of people stop and say, "can I help, I'm an EMT".
Never needed one yet but I'm amazed at the amount of people that want to help, even when they're on vaction just passing thru our area.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Mar 26, 2015 - 10:13pm PT
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I don't have much training at all.
But after a friend had a serious accident I finally decided I needed to take at least the two day WFR course , which I did.
And the great thing about it was that I put together a much better med kit which I now always have in my pack.
Even on multi pitch routes, I've decided I want to have it with me. I throw it in a superlight pack and lead with it, never notice it.
I've used it twice.
Once, doing a day hike in Death Valley, a little kid stumbled and got a tiny scratch. But, as kids will do, he was screaming and crying. I approached and followed the protocol, his parents played along, and I very seriously got a bandaid out of my kit and applied it, after a little cleaning wipe. He was rapt with attention and no crying after that.
The second time was just about 6 weeks ago. I was walking (walking!) and a small rock dislodged and tumbled into my shin. I looked down and thought "well that's going to be a scratch" ... and looked in horror at a hole that had been poked all the way into my white bone. And then the blood came gushing.
But I didn't panic! Took out my kit, cleaned it with sterile saline, dressed it up, wrapped it and walked out. 3 hrs later the emergency room finally got around to putting a staple in it. Man, I'm glad I had that kit with me.
point is - carry some kind of first aid kit!
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GrahamJ
climber
In the rain
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Mar 27, 2015 - 01:23am PT
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Did a wilderness first responder course about 10 years ago. I have since become a veterinarian - most climbers are animals anyway...
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Mar 27, 2015 - 07:01am PT
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It's good to have some general knowledge and take a CPR course IMO. My WFR has lapsed and I don't think I'd take the full course again since it's pretty intense and time consuming if you don't need it for employment.
Right now I'd like to just take the 2-3 day Wilderness first aid course just to brush up on the basics and renew the CPR cert, just so I'm not standing there like a bump on a log when sh#t goes down.
So far I've been lucky.. the only medical emergencies I've had to fix were (two separate incidents of) diabetics allowing their blood sugar to drop so low they became totally incapacitated. I think I have that one dialed.;)
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