Wilderness First Aid
| Full Course Length |
Pre-requisites |
Certification Period |
| 16 Hours |
None |
3 Years |
The Wilderness First Aid course is our basic wilderness medical course. The curriculum is based upon a mix of Boy Scout First aid, American Red Cross Standard First Aid, and our Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT courses, the Wilderness Medical Society Practical Guidelines
Course Topics
Basic Patient Assessment, Patient Protection, Basic Wound Care, Splinting and other Orthopedic Injuries, Animal and Insect Bites, Environmental Injuries (heat and cold injuries), and Personal Protection. All lectures contain techniques/skills for performing these skills in the wilderness with a limited number of resources.
This class meets the First Aid requirements set by the New York Guides Association, the Boy Scouts of America, and many more organizations. Click here for additional information.
This course is typically held by another sponsoring organization. Check out our course schedule to see when the next available class is. If you are interested in hosting a course, contact us.
Course Details
Course Text: Wilderness First Aid. Emergency Care For Remote Locations (Third Edition) by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Wilderness Medical Society.
Target Disciplines: Climbers, Backpackers, Kayak/Canoe Instructors and Enthusiasts, and Youth Leaders/Teachers engaged in adventure sports.
Class Overview: The class focuses on preventing, recognizing, and treating
common wilderness injuries and illnesses when activation or response of the
local EMS system will be delayed beyond 60 minutes.
The principles of the course are based upon several different disciplines in wilderness medicine. Among these are: Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines, current
American Red Cross guidelines, general protocols established by the Wilderness
Emergency Medical Services Institute, current research and experience of the CDS
Outdoor, Inc. staff, and the information contained in the course text by the
National Safety Council. All
techniques and information taught in this course are in line with the standard
of care established by the Wilderness Medical Society for a wilderness
environment.
At course completion, students are awarded a certificate of completion by CDS
Outdoor. In order to receive a completion certificate, students must attended all class sessions, meet the
course skill objectives, and passed the written test with a score of 80% or
better. The certificate will be recognized for three years. Students
must then either complete another course or demonstrate all skills to
proficiency and pass the written test with a score of 80% or higher.
Detailed Curriculum
Introduction to Wilderness First Aid
- This section introduces students to the Wilderness Emergency Medical System
- Students will learn the definition of wilderness, first aid, and EMS system in general
- Students are introduced to the Wilderness Triad and will gain understanding on its effect on the wilderness patient
- Students will also learn the legal issues and complications associated with providing first aid care in the wilderness
- Blood Borne pathogens and body isolation techniques used to protect rescuers are also discussed
Patient Assessment
- The initial steps of any treatment involve patient assessment
- Students will learn how to perform a primary survey to check for immediate life threatening conditions
- Students will then learn the techniques to perform a conscious and unconscious patient survey.
- In addition, basic anatomy and physiology, proper documentation, and patient protection will be discussed.
Bleeding, Wounds,and Burns
- Students will learn to control severe bleeding using both direct pressure and pressure points
- Students will also learn to identify and treat different types and severity of burns
- The prevention and treatment of shock, with a special emphasis on how shock affects the wilderness patient, will also be covered
- This section finishes up with a discussion and practice of proper wound cleaning and bandaging techniques
Common Medical Problems/Trauma
- This section will provide students with an overview of common medical problems and traumatic incidents found in the wilderness
- The focus is on identifying each problem to assist the rescuer to determine the urgency for evacuation or for triage
- The covered situations include eye injuries, closed head injuries, open and closed chest trauma, open and closed abdominal trauma, stroke, seizure, syncope, respiratory disorders, heart problems, acute abdomen, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and diabetes
Heat and Cold Injuries
- Students will learn about the body heat reservoir and how heat, cold, and fatigue affect the body
- Students will be able to recognize treat a variety of both heat and cold related illnesses
- Much of this discussion centers on the prevention of these injuries
Bites and Stings
- Students will learn to recognize potential hazardous animals, reptiles, and insects
- In addition, the prevention, recognition, and treatment of the bites and stings caused by these animals, insects, and reptiles will be discussed.
- After learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock, students will become proficient in the use of the Epinephrine Auto-Injector
Orthopedic Injuries
- Injuries to muscles, bones, and joints are one of the most common injuries in the wilderness
- Students are instructed in the recognition and stabilization of a variety of these injuries
- Much of this training is hands on
- In addition, the proper techniques for Cervical Spine immobilization and protection are discussed
Patient Evacuation and Protection
- This section teaches students how to determine evacuation priority and improvise methods of evacuation
- Students will also learn how to protect the patient from the environment and care for their basic needs
Wilderness First Aids Kits
- Students will learn the suggested items that should be found in a wilderness first aid kit
