Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry: Outdoor Medical Handbook

Learn basic first aid, as well as how to prevent and treat outdoor medical emergencies, from common illness and injury to catastrophe.

You want to enjoy the outdoors with family, friends, and even on your own. You don't want to fret about safety. Put your mind at ease with expert guidance from Patrick Brighton, M.D., FACS. Dr. Brighton has served as an emergency room surgeon, has managed mass-casualty situations, and has participated in several mountain rescues. Now, he's sharing his expertise with you in Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry.

Find out what preventative steps you can take to minimize your risk, whether you're mowing the yard, hiking with friends, or camping with children. Discover the recommended and the essential items to keep on hand--in case the worst should happen--regardless of where you are, what you're doing, and how far you are from help. Dr. Brighton guides you through first-aid responses and treatments to a variety of wilderness illnesses, injuries, and emergency situations--from sunburn and toothache to appendicitis and heart attack.

Inside you'll find:

• Information organized by type of injury, so you can quickly find what you need
• Basic techniques in first aid, as well as potentially life-saving treatments


• Easy-to-understand instructions that help you assess each situation and decide how to proceed


• Considerations for nature's variable challenges, like limited resources, weather, victim/rescuer capabilities, and evacuation options


• Strategies based on the latest research from the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association, and Dr. Brighton's decades of experience

Whether you encounter mild sickness or life-or-death conditions, you can be sure that you're getting sound advice from an expert in wilderness medicine. Plus, the book includes field notes--real stories from the field. So use Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry to prevent, to prepare, and in the event of a worst case scenario.