Wilderness Paramedic Course

Lesson 1 • Wilderness EMS System Structure

Describes how wilderness EMS agencies, medical directors, and protocols are organised. Clarifies the paramedic's role within search-and-rescue and expedition teams.

Lesson 2 • Defining the Wilderness Environment

Contrasts wilderness settings with urban EMS in terms of resources, communication, and evacuation timelines. Anchors all subsequent clinical decisions in environmental reality.

Lesson 3 • Medical Ethics and Decision-Making

Applies core bioethical principles to resource-scarce, high-stakes wilderness scenarios. Prepares students to make defensible decisions without immediate physician contact.

Lesson 1 • Surgical Airway Management

Teaches needle and surgical cricothyrotomy as rescue techniques when other methods fail. Prepares students to perform the procedure under stress with minimal equipment.

Lesson 2 • Airway Anatomy and Assessment

Reviews airway anatomy relevant to field intubation and obstruction management. Establishes a systematic approach to predicting difficult airways before intervention.

Lesson 3 • Basic and Advanced Airway Adjuncts

Covers OPA, NPA, supraglottic devices, and endotracheal intubation in field conditions. Sequences adjunct selection from least to most invasive.

Lesson 4 • Respiratory Emergencies in the Field

Manages asthma, anaphylaxis, pulmonary edema, and aspiration in remote settings. Links pharmacological and positional interventions to available field medications.

Lesson 1 • Chest and Abdominal Trauma

Manages pneumothorax, rib fractures, and blunt abdominal injury with field-available tools. Emphasises recognition of deterioration requiring immediate evacuation.

Lesson 2 • Haemorrhage Control Techniques

Covers tourniquet application, wound packing, and pressure dressings for life-threatening bleeding. Establishes haemorrhage control as the first priority in wilderness trauma.

Lesson 3 • Traumatic Brain Injury Field Care

Identifies TBI severity using clinical signs when imaging is unavailable. Guides ongoing monitoring and evacuation urgency decisions.

Lesson 4 • Spinal Motion Restriction in the Field

Applies evidence-based criteria for selective spinal motion restriction in wilderness contexts. Balances neurological risk against evacuation practicality.

Lesson 1 • Cold Injuries to Extremities

Distinguishes frostnip, frostbite, and non-freezing cold injuries and applies appropriate field care. Guides rewarming decisions based on refreezing risk and evacuation timeline.

Lesson 2 • Heat Illness Spectrum

Differentiates heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and exertional heat stroke by clinical presentation. Guides aggressive cooling and fluid management in the field.

Lesson 3 • Hypothermia Recognition and Treatment

Classifies hypothermia severity and guides rewarming strategies appropriate to each stage. Emphasises field rewarming techniques when hospital care is unavailable.

Lesson 4 • Aquatic and Submersion Emergencies

Manages drowning, cold-water submersion, and swift-water rescue scenarios. Integrates resuscitation with hypothermia management for submersion victims.

Lesson 1 • Analgesics and Sedation

Covers opioid, non-opioid, and ketamine analgesia for painful wilderness injuries. Guides dosing, monitoring, and reversal in prolonged patient care scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Pharmacology Principles in Remote Care

Reviews drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion as they apply to field conditions. Addresses how altitude, temperature, and dehydration alter drug effects.

Lesson 3 • Fluid Therapy in the Field

Covers IV and oral fluid resuscitation strategies for haemorrhage, dehydration, and shock. Guides fluid selection and rate based on patient condition and supply constraints.

Lesson 4 • Antibiotics and Infection Control

Guides empirical antibiotic selection for wound infections, sepsis, and environmental exposures. Connects antibiotic choice to likely pathogens in wilderness environments.

Lesson 1 • Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Emergencies

Differentiates surgical from non-surgical abdominal emergencies using clinical examination. Guides pain management and evacuation decisions for acute abdominal presentations.

Lesson 2 • Cardiac Emergencies in the Field

Manages ACS, dysrhythmias, and cardiac arrest using field-adapted ACLS protocols. Addresses defibrillation with AED and manual defibrillator in remote environments.

Lesson 3 • Allergic and Toxic Emergencies

Manages anaphylaxis, envenomation, and toxic ingestion with field-available treatments. Connects severity assessment to treatment escalation and evacuation urgency.

Lesson 4 • Neurological Emergencies

Identifies and manages stroke, seizure, and altered mental status in the absence of imaging. Guides treatment and evacuation urgency based on clinical findings.

Lesson 1 • Prolonged Field Care Protocols

Manages patients over extended periods when evacuation is delayed by weather or terrain. Addresses nutrition, hydration, wound care, and psychological support during prolonged care.

Lesson 2 • Improvised Rescue Equipment

Constructs improvised litters, harnesses, and carries from available materials. Evaluates improvised equipment for patient safety before use.

Lesson 3 • Patient Packaging Techniques

Covers litter preparation, patient securing, and environmental protection for transport. Ensures patient comfort and clinical stability are maintained during movement.

Lesson 4 • Evacuation Decision-Making

Applies structured criteria to determine evacuation urgency, mode, and route. Balances patient stability, terrain, weather, and available resources in the decision.

Lesson 1 • Simulation and Competency Evaluation

Assesses integrated clinical performance through high-fidelity wilderness scenario simulations. Provides structured debriefing to identify and correct performance gaps.

Lesson 2 • Pediatric Wilderness Emergencies

Adapts assessment, dosing, and treatment protocols for pediatric patients in wilderness settings. Addresses the physiological and psychological differences of children in emergencies.

Lesson 3 • Wilderness Obstetric Emergencies

Manages precipitous delivery, obstetric haemorrhage, and neonatal resuscitation in remote settings. Prepares students for low-frequency, high-acuity obstetric events.

Lesson 4 • Austere Environment Clinical Judgment

Develops decision-making frameworks for scenarios with incomplete information and no physician contact. Builds confidence in independent clinical reasoning under uncertainty.