Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Capsaicin, a chili pepper extract, can stimulate increased skin blood flow (SkBF) with a perceived warming sensation on application areas. Larger surface area application may exert a more systemic thermoregulatory response. Capsaicin could assist with maintaining heat transport to the distal extremities, minimizing cold weather injury risk. However, the thermoregulatory and perceptual impact of topical capsaicin cream application prior to exercise in the cold is unknown...

INTRODUCTION: Aquatic envenomations are common injuries along the coastal United States that pose a public health risk and can cause significant morbidity. We examined aquatic envenomation exposures that were called in to poison control centers (PCC) in the United States from 2011 to 2020. METHODS: The Association of Poison Control Center's (AAPCC) National Poison Data System was queried for all aquatic envenomations reported during the 10 y period from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020...

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Hand injuries from surfing tend to be severe and require medical attention. Follow-up of a surfing injury is difficult because many patients are visiting and go home after treatment. We report a case of a surfing hand injury sustained abroad, which was treated upon the patient's return, allowing for follow-up. The mechanism of injury was traction and torsion from the surfboard leash while surfing. The patient was initially treated for nailbed injury but presented later back home after persistent pain, for which an unstable distal phalanx fracture in their right ring finger was found by x-ray...

Treatment of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) can be challenging and is further complicated in the pediatric patient in the prehospital environment. The following case presents a decompensating pediatric patient with HAPE in the prehospital aeromedical environment. It illustrates the potential benefit of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a treatment modality in the treatment of HAPE.

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INTRODUCTION: Bothriechis schlegelii is a Crotaline viperid species of Central America and Northern South America. The characteristics of its envenomation have not been well established. We present clinical characteristics of human cases evaluated and treated in a hospital in southwestern Colombia. METHODS: We evaluated data from patients who suffered Bothriechis schlegelii envenomation and were seen at Fundación Valle del Lili Hospital, Cali, Colombia between 2011 and 2022...

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Hand warmer packets are common products used to provide a portable, nonflammable heat source via the exothermic oxidation of iron. We present the first reported case of pediatric hand warmer packet ingestion in a three-year-old male who developed an elevated serum iron concentration (peak 335 ug/dL) and gastrointestinal injury after ingesting the contents of a HOTHANDS hand warmer packet. He was treated with endoscopic gastric foreign body removal and lavage, as well as proton-pump inhibitors and whole bowel irrigation...

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INTRODUCTION: Scorpion stings are a significant public health problem in many parts of the world. Children are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from scorpion envenoming, including cardiac, respiratory, and neurologic complications. In Turkey, members of the Buthidae family are the most common culprits in severe envenoming events. METHODS: This retrospective-descriptive study was conducted in Turkey. Children aged 0 to 18 y admitted to the emergency department of Kahta State Hospital between December 2017 and December 2020 were included in the study...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The provision of analgesia in mass casualty incidents has traditionally been viewed as low-priority and reserved for later stages of care. Poor pain management is commonplace in trauma victims, and inadequate acute pain management can hinder evacuation efforts and may lead to the development of chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder. New, safe, and simple methods for administering quality analgesia have proven to be safe and effective in the prehospital setting and, as such, could easily be implemented into mass casualty incident protocols and allow for analgesia at earlier stages in such incidents, thereby improving patient care...

INTRODUCTION: AR36 is a pharmaceutical-grade plant extract used to support cardiovascular health in traditional Chinese medicine. Studies suggest that AR36 may prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS) during gradual ascent to high altitude. This randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial aimed to evaluate dosing regimens and assess efficacy and safety of AR36 for AMS prevention during rapid ascent. METHODS: Participants received placebo, low-dose AR36 (225 mg twice daily for 14 d prior and 5 d at altitude), or high-dose AR36 (12 d placebo, 300 mg twice daily for 2 d prior and 5 d at altitude)...