ICAR MEDCOM

International Commission
for Mountain Emergency Medicine

Consensus guidelines on
Mountain Emergency Medicine
and Risk Reduction

Editor: Fidel Elsensohn MD

Attached CD-ROM with translations into the following languages
English, Czech, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish
© 2001 ICAR MEDCOM & UIAA MEDCOM

“Analgesia at the scene of an accident is a human right”
(U. Wiget)

This compendium results from 10 years of intensive work by the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine ICAR MEDCOM and UIAA MEDCOM and represents a collection of Consensus Guidelines intended for mountaineers, paramedics and emergency doctors working in mountainous areas. All recommendations were established by experienced emergency physicians and experts in Mountain Medicine who proposed the different topics to the Board. Subsequently the arguments were discussed, eventually reviewed by external experts and finally approved by the Board’s members.

Content

Chapter I: ICAR MEDCOM recommendations
Recommendation 1          First Aid Training Guidelines for Mountain Rescue Service Members
Recommendation 2          Canyoning Rescue for Professional Guides
Recommendation 3          Qualifications for Emergency Doctors in Mountain Rescue Operations
Recommendation 4          Contents of a Mountain Refuge’s Pharmacy
Recommendation 5          A Modular First Aid Kit for Alpinists, Mountain Guides and Alpinist Physicians
Recommendation 6          Equipment for Canyoning Rescue Doctors
Recommendation 7          Immobilization and Use of the Vacuum Mattress in Organized Mountain Rescue
Recommendation 8          Treatment of Dislocations and Fractures
Recommendation 9          Treatment of Shoulder Dislocations
Recommendation 10        Treatment of Pain in the Field
Recommendation 11        Emergency Intubation and Ventilation in the Field
Recommendation 12        Thoracostomy at the Scene of an Accident in the Mountains
Recommendation 13        On site Treatment of Avalanche victims
Recommendation 14        On site Treatment of Hypothermia
Recommendation 15        On site Treatment of Frostbites for Mountaineers
Recommendation 16        Small Volume Therapy in Mountain Rescue
Recommendation 17        Activation and Rational Use of Helicopters
Chapter II: UIAA MEDCOM recommendations
Recommendation 1          Treatment of Acute Mountain Sickness and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
Recommendation 2          The transfer of Blood-to-Blood Infections in Climbing Competitions
Recommendation 3          Hiking Sticks in Mountaineering
Recommendation 4          The Ten Health Rules for Mountaineers
Recommendation 5          Nutrition in Mountaineering
Recommendation 6          Children going to the Mountains
Recommendation 7          People with Preexisting Conditions Going to the Mountains
Recommendation 8          Postable Hyperbaric Chambers
Recommendation 9          Body Mass Index and Age Limits
Recommendation 10        Statement Competition Climbing
Recommendation 11        Recent Developments in Mountain Medicine Education