Avalanche Rescue: Patient Care

BCA has put together a nice series of instructional videos about avalanche safety and companion rescue.

In this video, avalanche instructor Sarah Carpenter talks about what to do after you have unburied your partner...



Once you've dug the patient out, do the following:

1. Check the mouth and airway. Clear any snow plugs.
2. Check the chest and lungs. Make sure that patient is breathing. If they're not breathing, stop and fix that! Provide CPR.
3. Check for a pulse. If there's no pulse, commence with CPR.
4. Check for bleeds. If there are any massive bleeds, stop and fix that.
5. Check for spinal injury and check for that. Stabilize if needed.
6. Can we stay and work on this problem? Or do we need a rapid evacuation.
7. As soon as someone is dug up, they are exposed to the cold. Get the patient off the snow and bundled up. Treat for hypothermia.
8. Do a complete patient assessment from head-to-toe to determine if there are other injuries.
9. Carry and emergency kit that allows you to build a shelter, make a fire and make water.

--Jason D. Martin