Wilderness First Aid Syllabus

This is a comprehensive first aid course for individuals who require or desire wilderness first aid level knowledge and skills, but are not professional responders.  This may include adventure guides, outdoor enthusiasts, camp counselors and administrators, camp participants, park and forest rangers, boy scouts, scuba divers, and other occupations or pastimes that are in a wilderness environment.

Duration:
Approximately 16 hours (over 2-4 days)

Certification Period:
Up to 3 years
(recommended renewal every 2 years)

Prerequisites:
Adult CPR and AED is recommended
Basic First Aid is recommended
Minimum age of 14

Topics:

• Training for wilderness emergencies
• Patient assessment: learning to find problems
• Initial assessment: unresponsive
  
• Initial assessment: responsive
  
• Physical exam
  
• Vital signs
  
• SAMPLE history
  
• SOAP table
  
• Shock management
  
• Wilderness wound care
  
• Control of bleeding
  
• Burn care
  
• Assessing and splinting fractures
  
• Joint injuries
  
• Unstable ankle
  
• Assessing and treating head injuries
  
• Assessing spinal injuries
  
• Single rescuer log roll
  
• Multiple rescuer log roll
• Straightening the pretzel
• BEAM move

• Eye and facial injuries
• Chest and abdominal injuries
• Heat related emergies
• Hypothermia
• Frostbite
• Submersion incidents
• Altitude illness
• Lightening strike
• Sunburn, skin and eye protection
• Contaminated water
• Mosquitoes, ticks and disease
• Bees, wasps and spiders
• Using an Epinepherine Auto-Injector
• Venomous snakes
• Hazardous mammals
• Harardous marine animals
• Hazardous plants
• Medical problems in the wilderness
• Wilderness first aid kits
• Wilderness resources
• Naloxone