The Wilderness Medicine Book

This is one of those books that will come in handy, even if you never use it. If that sounds silly, you’ve never been 50 miles from the nearest road with a man down and no telecommunications or medical knowledge. Each year, more and more people venture outdoors, including wilderness and rugged environments, and many suffer from injuries or illnesses while in the mountains, deserts, forests, jungles, or oceans. The 5th edition of Wilderness Medicine, is the definitive clinical reference on its unique subject and explains how to manage everything from frostbite to infection by marine microbes and situations stemming from natural disasters to diverse everyday injuries, such as bites, stings, poisonous plant exposures and animal attacks.

“Wilderness Medicine is the only book that covers the entire field,” said Dr. Auerbach, MD, MS, editor of the book and Clinical Professor of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine. “It includes vital, comprehensive treatment information that you won’t normally find in standard medical texts but will absolutely need during a medical crisis."

Wilderness Medicine presents expert detailed guidance on responding to these emergencies, both in the field and within emergency department and hospital settings.

In addition to coverage of topics such as hypothermia, reptile bites, poisonous plant exposures, and other essential wilderness medicine topics, this book includes new information on volcanic eruptions, extreme sports, wilderness cardiology, aerospace medicine, mental health in the wilderness, and tactical combat casualty care, among others. The book also describes how to meet the unique needs of specific patient populations, such as children, women, elders, the disabled, and people with chronic medical conditions. In addition, it addresses vital aspects of search and rescue, gear, navigation, nutrition, and survival.

Dr. Auerbach is a founder of the Wilderness Medical Society and among the world's most respected authorities in this field. One hundred fifty-seven experts from medicine, government, education, research, industry, and the military, among other fields, contributed.

Persons who will find Wilderness Medicine essential include physicians, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, outdoor-enthusiasts and adventure travelers, wilderness expedition leaders, the military, firefighters, search-and-rescuers, explorers in all environments (such as divers, alpinists, backpackers, etc.), and anyone interested in health care issues related to the outdoors. The coverage spans the globe with detailed descriptions of the environment, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition (ISBN: 978-0-323-03228-5) is 2336 pages long with 2100 illustrations, 1950 of them in full color.