Wilderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid, 5th Edition,   ISBN:9780762704903

Customer Rating: 

Good book to carry with you on trips where you will be away from medical resources.

Customer Rating: 

Bought this as a resource for our annual Haiti trips. While it's not a primary volume, it contains alot of good information that could be useful in many situations. Every rural family probably ought to have a copy.

Customer Rating: 

The book was a bit too basic for my taste. I understand that the layperson doesn't have access to many things that a doctor does. But to me, the book was more about band-aids than it is about stitches. I think it could have been a little meatier.
Due to the limited availability of many medicines to the average Joe (or Jane), I suppose the writer couldn't put in a lot of information on how to treat as a doctor would. But I was actually hoping for more of that kind of information.

Customer Rating: 

First off, this is a great book. If anyone thinks this is just a glorified first-aid book, think again. Dr. Forgey's is quick to point out that some medical emergencies are best treated at a hospital by professionals, having said that he plays a "what if" game where evac is not possible and then provides detailed treatment strategies based on your level of skills and supplies on hand. It's a clever approach where plan A is better than plan B which is better than plan C which is better than plan D. Although, he'll point out that plan D is better than doing nothing. His sense of humor is not lost in this book which makes for a compelling read. It's a must have for laymen or practicing pro new to wilderness medicine. I couldn't recommend this book enough. My only complaint, if it qualifies as a complaint is that there isn't a 6th Edition with the latest in medical technology represented. Having said that, if a technique worked in 1999 it should still work in 2009 or 2019!

Favorite excerp from the book: "Red-hot branding irons and pouring gun powder into a wound and lighting it, while effective in killing germs and among Rambo's favorite techniques, also destroy good tissue." (Chapter 3 p.93 paragraph 2)

This one is a keeper, and at the current price, you should buy one for anyone that travels a lot...anywhere!


J.D.

Customer Rating: 

It's no surprise that every reviewer has given this excellent and comprehensive book five stars.

Written by William Forgey, MD, former president of the Wilderness Medicine Society it goes beyond first aid, dealing with situations where you cannot merely administer initial care and then count on a rapid evacuation. Forgey writes with a light hand; he avoids jargon and has a dry sense of humor. For example (p. 157): "How do you calm a person who's just been bitten by a snake? Not surprisingly, just telling him to remain calm won't work."

There are seven chapters, beginning with assessment and stabilization, and going through body system disease symptoms, injuries, bites and stings, infectious diseases, and environmental injuries. There is an excellent appendix for putting together wilderness first aid/medical kits, both with prescription, and non-prescription meds, and with a bandaging module.

You don't have to be physician, nurse, or EMT to benefit from the book. All the information, is practical and hands-on; of value to the layperson who is interested in first aid and emergency medical situations. After an initial reading, Wilderness Medicine is a fine reference work.


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