First Aid

This info is complied from a couple of good hiking websites:

Hopefully you won't need any of the below but worth a few minutes reading...

Major injuries from hiking are rare. Walking doesn't tend to break bones or kill people. But, there are a whole bunch of smaller injuries and ailments that can make your day miserable. Being ready for the majority of them will make your trips more enjoyable and may help someone else that was not prepared.

First Aid Guidelines
If a member of your hiking party is injured, you need to follow three guidelines. The highest priority is first, followed in order by the other two:

• Stay Alive - yourself, others, and the victim. Especially yourself. If you are unable to help, then no one gets out alive.
• Stabilise Injury - stop the injury from doing further damage to the victim. Stop bleeding, remove them from the cause.
• Start Recovery - make the victim better. Fix the injury or ailment as much as possible.

You always have to keep yourself safe. Then, you need to ensure the survival of everyone else. This means getting the group to warmer shelter if one person is becoming hypothermic rather than having everyone stop to help that one person. This means running out of the way of a rockslide rather than jumping into it to save someone falling. If someone is injured or sick, you need to check that every action you are taking follows one of the three guidelines. If it does not, then it is probably not a necessary action.

Prevention
It is so much easier to provide first aid by preventing the need for it in the first place. Easily the biggest hazard for hikers is the environment - changes in weather or ill-prepared hikers get into the most trouble. Make sure everyone in your group has the necessary abilities to successfully complete the planned hike. Make sure they have proper clothing, plenty of water, and extra food. Everyone should have a small personal first aid kit and there should be one more complete kit for the group.

Before you go hiking in a new area, find out about poisonous plants, snakes, insects, dangerous animals, and other possible hazards.

First Aid Kit
You can easily buy a ready-made first aid kit and there are some very good ones available.
You may be able to save space by making your own, or by replacing some parts of a purchased kit. It is important that you know the purpose of and how to use every item in your kit - otherwise it's just extra weight.
You won't have much time to read a manual while administering to an injury.

Be sure the kit is easily accessible and everyone in the group knows who has it.

The following is a list of items commonly agreed on as being essential for a first aid kit:

• Waterproof container - a strong zip-loc bag or plastic-lined kit bag. If it isn't waterproof, it will be a mess.
• Elastic roll plaster
• Adhesive bandages, assorted sizes
• Gauze pad
• Triangular bandage
• Blister protection
• Antiseptic wipes
• Other Gear:
• Mirror, small and unbreakable
• Safety pins
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Drugs:
• Antacid
• Antihistamine (Benadryl, etc.); allergic reactions, insomnia
• Anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen); inflammation, pain
• Hydrocortisone cream (soothes allergic skin)

Sprained Ankle

A sprained ankle can be painful. But the speed of onset and the severity of the pain can vary greatly.

Sometimes, the pain can be delayed – and at other times it's instant. The level of pain isn't always a measurement of the extent of the damage. Some people hear a 'pop' in their ankle. This could suggest a torn ligament. The twist is followed by swelling of the area.

Rapid, significant swelling usually indicates severe damage has taken place.

The swelling is caused by bleeding of the damaged tissue, and the resultant bruise or discolouration is a result of gravity pulling the blood downwards.

So, the swelling is often situated a small distance away from the actual damaged site.

What are the danger signs?

After a sprain you may feel that your ankle is unstable, you may have problems controlling it, or you may have balance problems when standing on the affected foot.

In these circumstances, it is essential to get advice about appropriate physiotherapy treatment and exercise.

If you have persistent pain and a feeling of instability, you may have sustained damage other than a sprain. These symptoms need further assessment by a doctor

Treatment
Injuries of this kind should receive first aid treatment following the RICE principle. This stands for: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

Cooling the injury as fast as possible will reduce the swelling and pain.

Rest

The injured foot must be rested for the first 48 to 72 hours to prevent any further injury. Avoid heat treatment during this period.

Ice

The damaged area must be cooled by using an icepack or a packet of frozen peas. The ice must never have direct contact with the skin or the patient could get frostbite. A cloth should be placed between the ice and the skin. Ice can be laid on the affected area for up to 20 minutes every hour, but for no longer than three hours in all. Ice treatment has been known to be effective for up to 24 hours after the injury occurred.

Compression

The compression must be firm but not too tight. It must not be allowed to affect the blood circulation. An elasticated bandage from the toes to the middle of the lower leg would be ideal.

Elevation

The foot must be elevated above heart level. It is most comfortable to lie down and elevate the limb with a few pillows.

If you are sitting down, the legs can be raised on a chair or a table. This elevation should be maintained for a few days
 

Hiking at High Altitudes

As you climb ever higher, you need to understand the added risks and problems with higher altitudes. You will find yourself needing to breathe deeper and more often to keep enough oxygen circulating to your muscles. Every breath has less oxygen, so you need more breaths. There are more special preparations for higher altitude hiking:

• Slower Pace - If you are not expecting the lack of oxygen, you will find yourself needing frequent rest stops to recover. But, by slowing your pace as you gain elevation, you will keep your body working without overexerting.
• Even Rhythm - Maintaining a breathing/stepping rhythm is even more important at higher elevations than lower down. It will help keep you from overexerting yourself.
• Deep Breathing - when you first notice any breathlessness, start thinking about your breathing. Take deeper breaths and smaller steps until you have a sustainable pace again. On steeper sections, deliberately placing each foot and taking a breath may be the way to go.
• Sunscreen is critical because the sun is more powerful higher up. Snow, light-coloured rocks, cool temperature, and no shade above treeline also contribute to easy sun burns.
• Sunglasses will help prevent squinting and headaches. Snowblindness and sunburned eyelids are real problems. Use side guards on your glasses for more protection.
• Extra Clothes - long sleeves, long pants, hats, and gloves to protect from the sun, wind, and cold. Weather can change in a heartbeat, easily dropping more than 30 degrees in 1/2 hour or less.

Ignoring the risks of hiking at higher elevations will ruin your day. If you're lucky, you'll just be wiped out, but there's a good chance you can get yourself in deep trouble.

Altitude Sickness

Everyone needs to breathe more when they are at altitude. But, some people become sick when they hike too high. It just happens.
The biggest problem with hikers is that they want to reach their goal and may not accept that they need to stop when problems occur. Being honest enough to stop and possibly turn back can be a very difficult step to take.
There are many factors that come into play when altitude sickness hits, but taking some steps will help minimise your risk:

• Acclimatize - The biggest contributor to altitude sickness is climbing too fast. That means the person in good shape has a good chance of getting sick since he tends to push harder and hike faster. People that reside at lower elevations will experience a greater change at lower heights. To acclimatize:
• Rest and relax for 2 hours for every 1000 feet the trailhead is above your normal elevation.
• Climb slowly and steadily.
• Check how you are feeling every hour. Nausea, lack of hunger or thirst, headache, dizziness, difficult breathing, lack of coordination are all warning signs.
• On multi-day hikes, sleep no more than 1500 feet higher than the previous night. You can climb higher during the day, but come down to sleep.
• Expect It - Any height over 8,000 feet should make you be on the alert. Every hike is a new experience and by being on the lookout for symptoms, you will catch problems early on.
• Hydrate - drinking more water helps reduce the symptoms. Drink even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Reduce Exertion - the harder you push your body, the greater your risk of getting symptoms.
• Eat Well - eat a high carbohydrate menu, and don't forget to drink water.

Extreme cases

• Disorientation - confusion, hallucinations, irrational behavior can all be caused by edema, which is swelling of tissue and can be caused by higher elevation.
• Loss of Coordination - someone stumbling or dropping their water bottle should be signals. If you suspect someone may be experiencing this, test them:
• Have him walk heel-to-toe in a straight line.
• Have him stand straight with feet together and arms at sides and then close his eyes. He should be able to balance for at least 15 seconds.
• Lassitude - similar to exhaustion, just being tired out. After eating and drinking water and resting, exhaustion should go away. If it does not get better, do not go on and keep resting. There will be no energy to eat, talk, or do anything as the situation worsens.
• Headache - there are many causes for a headache, from bright sun to altitude sickness. If a headache does not go away after food, water, and rest, then suspect altitude sickness.
• Nausea - upset stomach and loss of appetite.

 

Recovery Position

 

If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position.

Putting someone in the recovery position will ensure their airway remains clear and open. It also ensures that any vomit or fluid will not cause them to choke.

To place someone in the recovery position:

• Roll a person on their side with their arms and upper leg at right angles to the body to support them.
• Tuck their upper hand under the side of their head so that their head is on the back of the hand.
• Open their airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
• Monitor their breathing and pulse continuously.
• If their injuries allow you to, turn the person onto their other side after 30 minutes

Spinal injury

If you think a person may have a spinal injury, do not attempt to move them until the emergency services reach you, unless their airway is obstructed.

If it is necessary to open their airway, place your hands on either side of their face and gently lift their jaw with your fingertips to open the airway. Take care not to move their neck.

You should suspect a spinal injury if the person:

• has a head injury, especially one where there has been a large blow on the back of the head, and is or has been unconscious
• complains of severe pain in their neck or back
• won't move their neck
• feels weak, numb or paralysed
• has lost control of their limbs, bladder or bowels
• has a twisted neck or back

If you must move the person (for example, because they are vomiting, choking or in danger of further injury), you need someone else to help you roll them.

One person should be at the head and another along the side of the injured person. Work together to keep the person's head, neck and back aligned while gently rolling the person onto one side.