News

Bones Break--And So Does The News

Sometimes I just want to pass on some new and interesting tidbits of information, specifically that pertain to trails and first aid. This is where you'll find those links:

• Talk about luck, although this spot on the trail seems to have some bad vibes.
• You'd think, that with all the news stories about hikers getting stuck in the snow in NH, that people would try to be more prepared, but no.
• More rescues in the White Mountains.
• I mentioned that the chances of encountering a venomous snake on a New England trail are low, but I hadn't considered seeing on while grocery shopping! Read more about snakes here.
• Interesting commentary on MTB injuries by pro racer, Miranda Miller and PinkBike.
• Many--probably most--of us rely on GPS to help navigate our way through the woods, but it's good to keep those basic map and way finding skills sharpened. Batteries can die and GPS systems can get hacked...
• Another case of commotio cordis with a happy ending thanks to quick CPR and an AED. Read more about AEDs here. 
• There are many embarrassing ways to get hurt, please don't add bum sliding to your list.
• Did they die from cold exposure, or does Sasquatch just want you to think that?
• These are the times when it's fortunate that his phone worked, and I wonder if, you're heading out alone, in the winter, in the mountains, that having a back-up option, such as a satellite phone would be prudent (such as in the case below).
• I can't imagine surviving 5 weeks in the frozen Canadian wilderness, but this guy did it. I hope more details about his story come out sometime.
• I'm continuously surprised at how many hikers head out as "woefully unprepared," but I guess I shouldn't. Sounds like this guy made many mistakes and missteps, and learned a valuable FAFO lesson.
• The headlines says it all: Harrowing rescue on Calif. peak after climber spends night dangling 100 feet from rope. 
• Something you don't see too often, someone stuck in a marsh for two days!
• This is going to make for some awkward interactions around the office.
• Can you imagine calling for rescue because you were tired? There's probably more to the story here, but it does make you wonder about how prepared these people were (or were not).
• The recommended position of defibrillator pads may be changing at some point. Read more about AEDs here.
• Great... "more agressive" yellow jackets have moved in to Massachusetts. Read more about bee stings here.
• Not New England, but interesting nonetheless, Anthony Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile Virus.
• Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the news again as four Massachusetts implement a voluntary lockdown to help stop the spread. Read more about EEE and other mosquito illnesses here.
• Automated Tourniquet: citing some fairly high failure rates from regular combat style tourniquets, Hannah Herbst developed an automated pneumatic tourniquet known as AutoTQ. Here's an interview with Hannah on Medscape. Read more about tourniquets here.
• Intranasal Epinephrine: you may no longer need to worry about the needle from an EpiPen when someone is having an anaphylactic reaction. The FDA just approved an intranasal spray called Nefty. Read more about bees (the most likely culprit of anaphylaxis on the trails), here.
• Eastern Equine Encaphalitis in Chittendon County, Vermont, the first time in the state for more than a decade. Read more about EEE and other mosquito illnesses here.
• Timber Rattlesnakes, rare in Massachusetts, seen near Springfield. Read more about snakes here.
• West Nile Virus detected in Western Massachusetts. Read more about WNV and other mosquito illnesses here.