Semin Neurol 2019; 39(01): 137-148
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676994
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Wilderness Neurology

Sarah M. Schlein
1   Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
,
Paul G. Marcolini
2   Wilderness Paramedic, Central Maine Medical Center, Tri-County EMS, Lewiston, Maine
,
Evie G. Marcolini
1   Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
11. Februar 2019 (online)

Abstract

The study of wilderness medicine is within the scope of medical care in the austere environment and addresses medicine as practiced in the setting of delayed access to definitive medical care, hostile environment, limited equipment, and inherent risks to the patient and/or rescuers. Part of this topic includes the care of patients with neurologic illness and/or injury.

We will address the five most important skills of a wilderness medicine professional: decision making, prevention, preparation, protocol development, and education by applying the principles to select common neurologic problems that occur in the extended environment: traumatic brain injury, dehydration, hyponatremia, heat illness, hypothermia, spine injury, and lightning injury. We will focus on the most pertinent aspects of wilderness medicine: signs and symptoms, initial stabilization and treatment, evacuation, and extended care.

An astute wilderness medicine specialist brings environmental and medical skill sets together to know when it is better to treat in the field and when evacuation, with its inherent risks to the patient and rescuers, is unavoidable.

 
  • References

  • 1 Auerbach PS. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Mosby; 2012
  • 2 Hawkins S. Wilderness EMS. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2018
  • 3 Ganio MS, Armstrong LE, Casa DJ. , et al. Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men. Br J Nutr 2011; 106 (10) 1535-1543
  • 4 Adan A. Cognitive performance and dehydration. J Am Coll Nutr 2012; 31 (02) 71-78
  • 5 Ayus JC, Varon J, Arieff AI. Hyponatremia, cerebral edema, and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema in marathon runners. Ann Intern Med 2000; 132 (09) 711-714
  • 6 Hew-Butler T, Almond C, Ayus JC. , et al; Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia (EAH) Consensus Panel. Consensus statement of the 1st International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Cape Town, South Africa 2005. Clin J Sport Med 2005; 15 (04) 208-213
  • 7 Bennett BL, Hew-Butler T, Hoffman MD, Rogers IR, Rosner MH. ; Wilderness Medical Society. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for treatment of exercise-associated hyponatremia: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med 2014; 25 (4, Suppl): S30-S42
  • 8 Yaqub B, Al Deeb S. Heat strokes: Aetiopathogenesis, neurological characteristics, treatment and outcome. J Neurol Sci 1998; 156 (02) 144-151
  • 9 Wang C-C, Tsai M-K, Chen IH, Hsu Y-D, Hsueh C-W, Shiang J-C. Neurological manifestations in a patient of heat stroke -case report and literature review. Taiwan Crit Care Med. 2008; 9: 257-266
  • 10 Bazille C, Megarbane B, Bensimhon D. , et al. Brain damage after heat stroke. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2005; 64 (11) 970-975
  • 11 Van Stavern GP, Biousse V, Newman NJ, Leingang JC. Downbeat nystagmus from heat stroke. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000; 69 (03) 403-404
  • 12 Pfeiffer G, Steffen W. Guillain-Barre syndrome after heat stroke. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1999; 66 (03) 408
  • 13 Uzawa A, Mori M, Tamura N. , et al. Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis after heat stroke. J Neurol 2006; 253 (04) 533-534
  • 14 Satirapoj B, Kongthaworn S, Choovichian P, Supasyndh O. Electrolyte disturbances and risk factors of acute kidney injury patients receiving dialysis in exertional heat stroke. BMC Nephrol 2016; 17 (01) 55
  • 15 Zafren K, Giesbrecht GG, Danzl DF. , et al. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the out-of-hospital evaluation and treatment of accidental hypothermia: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med 2014; 25 (4, Suppl): S66-S85
  • 16 Giesbrecht GG. Cold stress, near drowning and accidental hypothermia: a review. Aviat Space Environ Med 2000; 71 (07) 733-752
  • 17 Althaus U, Aeberhard P, Schüpbach P, Nachbur BH, Mühlemann W. Management of profound accidental hypothermia with cardiorespiratory arrest. Ann Surg 1982; 195 (04) 492-495
  • 18 Boue Y, Lavolaine J, Bouzat P, Matraxia S, Chavanon O, Payen JF. Neurologic recovery from profound accidental hypothermia after 5 hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Crit Care Med 2014; 42 (02) e167-e170
  • 19 Oberhammer R, Beikircher W, Hörmann C. , et al. Full recovery of an avalanche victim with profound hypothermia and prolonged cardiac arrest treated by extracorporeal re-warming. Resuscitation 2008; 76 (03) 474-480
  • 20 Hadley MN, Walters BC, Grabb PA. , et al. Cervical spine immobilization before admission to the hospital. Neurosurgery 2002; 50 (3, Suppl): S7-S17
  • 21 Lerner EB, Billittier IV AJ, Moscati RM. The effects of neutral positioning with and without padding on spinal immobilization of healthy subjects. Prehosp Emerg Care 1998; 2 (02) 112-116
  • 22 Ho AM, Fung KY, Joynt GM, Karmakar MK, Peng Z. Rigid cervical collar and intracranial pressure of patients with severe head injury. J Trauma 2002; 53 (06) 1185-1188
  • 23 Hauswald M, Ong G, Tandberg D, Omar Z. Out-of-hospital spinal immobilization: its effect on neurologic injury. Acad Emerg Med 1998; 5 (03) 214-219
  • 24 Walters BC, Hadley MN, Hurlbert RJ. , et al; American Association of Neurological Surgeons; Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Guidelines for the management of acute cervical spine and spinal cord injuries: 2013 update. Neurosurgery 2013; 60 (Suppl. 01) 82-91
  • 25 White IV CC, Domeier RM, Millin MG. ; Standards and Clinical Practice Committee, National Association of EMS Physicians. EMS spinal precautions and the use of the long backboard - resource document to the position statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Prehosp Emerg Care 2014; 18 (02) 306-314
  • 26 Hoffman JR, Mower WR, Wolfson AB, Todd KH, Zucker MI. ; National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study Group. Validity of a set of clinical criteria to rule out injury to the cervical spine in patients with blunt trauma. N Engl J Med 2000; 343 (02) 94-99
  • 27 Stiell IG, Wells GA, Vandemheen KL. , et al. The Canadian C-spine rule for radiography in alert and stable trauma patients. JAMA 2001; 286 (15) 1841-1848
  • 28 Tatum JM, Melo N, Ko A. , et al. Validation of a field spinal motion restriction protocol in a level I trauma center. J Surg Res 2017; 211: 223-227
  • 29 Rahmatalla S, DeShaw J, Stilley J, Denning G, Jennissen C. Comparing the efficacy of methods for immobilizing the thoracic-lumbar spine. Air Med J 2018; 37 (03) 178-185
  • 30 Davis C, Engeln A, Johnson EL. , et al. Wilderness Medical Society practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of lightning injuries: 2014 update. Wilderness Environ Med 2014; 25 (4, Suppl): S86-S95
  • 31 Zimmermann C, Cooper MA, Holle RL. Lightning safety guidelines. Ann Emerg Med 2002; 39 (06) 660-664
  • 32 Ashley WS, Gilson CW. A reassessment of U.S. lightning mortality. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 2009; 90 (10) 1501-1518
  • 33 Hawkes CH, Thorpe JW. Acute polyneuropathy due to lightning injury. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1992; 55 (05) 388-390
  • 34 Andrews CJ, Reisner AD. Neurological and neuropsychological consequences of electrical and lightning shock: Review and theories of causation. Neural Regen Res 2017; 12 (05) 677-686
  • 35 Reisner AD. A case of lightning injury with delayed-onset psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. Brain Inj 2006; 20 (10) 1093-1097
  • 36 Baqain E, Haertsch P, Kennedy P. Complete recovery following a high voltage electrical injury associated with delayed onset of quadriplegia and multiple cranial nerves dysfunction. Burns 2004; 30 (06) 603-605