10 Jan 2011

High-altitude Rescue

There has been many a time when rescue teams have been called to save people who have met with accidents in high-altitude areas. Disasters could occur in many forms – it could be a climber who has fallen down, passengers in a flight that has crashed on mountain top, or people trapped because of an earthquake. Trained responders carry essential emergency medical supplies to high-altitude places to rescue injured persons.

GO2 Achieve Pulse OximeterMountain rescue teams face great dangers during a rescue mission. The dangers a mountain rescue team has to face can be broadly classified into two categories, namely objective hazard and subjective hazard.

Natural calamities such as avalanches, rockfall, and bad weather condition fall under objective hazards. Falls due to equipment failure, fatigue, sudden illness, and lack of proper training come under subjective hazards. Objective hazards can strike anytime without warning. In the Rocky Mountains, erosion may cause rocks to fall without warning. The rescue team has to always be on high alert to dodge disintegrating rocks. Falling ice is a major problem that rescue teams have to face on icy mountains. During cold and stormy days large icicles are vulnerable to breaking down. However, these hazards can be avoided, if they have some knowledge about the icy mountains. Mountaineers and rescue teams are generally recommended to carry wilderness emergency medical kits along with them.Gamow Bag Hyperbaric Chamber

Minimizing subjective hazards largely relies on the skill and experience level of the rescuers on the team. Each member of the rescue team can carry emergency medical supplies in compact pouches for first aid treatment. Mountain rescue teams should be equipped with advanced tools and emergency medical kits to conduct a search and rescue operation.

Chinook Medical Gear offers a wide range of backcountry medical kits that feature emergency medical supplies. Rescue teams can also purchase medical products that are designed for use in high altitudes. The portable Gamow Bag Hyperbaric Chamber offered here can be used for treating acute mountain sickness. Other products available here include GO2 Achieve Pulse Oximeter, GO2 Neoprene Case, and EPAP Mask with Headstrap.

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