Swiss Mountain Guides: Medical Education, Knowledge, and Practice

High Altitude Medicine & Biology
Pierre MétraillerClaudio Sartori

Abstract

Background: Mountain guides work daily in remote areas and high-altitude locations where specific hypoxia-related and common medical problems may occur. Arrival of rescue teams can be delayed, so mountain guides often have to rely on their own capabilities to provide first aid. Therefore, IFMGA-recognized Swiss mountain guides receive a specific medical education and are equipped with a dedicated medical kit. This specific education has never been evaluated. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all Swiss mountain guides through their national association. This questionnaire evaluates guides' activity, type, and frequency of medical events encountered, medical education, and use of the medical kit. Furthermore, clinical vignettes were used to evaluate their subjective and objective knowledge about prevention and treatment of specific altitude-related diseases. Results: A total of 467 guides completed the questionnaire, 54 (11.6%) of them were identified as high-altitude guides (HA-guides), because they spent ≥10 nights above 4000 meters each year. Mountain guides are more exposed to altitude-specific pathologies, such as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (H...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 10, 2020·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Xierzhatijiang SulaimanYa-Ping Zhang

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