New criteria allow accurate determination of death in mountain rescue situations
Evidence-based best practices for making life and death medical decisions in less than ideal circumstances, developed by an international panel and published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine
The International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom) convened an expert medical panel to develop evidence-based criteria that allow for accurate determination of death in mountain rescue situations. These recommendations appear in
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine,
published by Elsevier.
Activities in remote mountain areas are associated with an increased risk of critical injury or fatality. Medical emergencies in the wilderness result in worse outcomes than those that occur where help is more accessible.
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Philadelphia, December 14, 2020 - The International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MedCom) convened an expert medical panel to develop evidence-based criteria that allow for accurate determination of death in mountain rescue situations. These recommendations appear in
Activities in remote mountain areas are associated with increased risk of critical injury or fatality. Medical emergencies in the wilderness result in worse outcomes than those that occur where help is more accessible. For example, in the mountain environment, hazards such as rockfalls, avalanches, bad weather or visibility, and low oxygen levels at high altitudes limit rescue capacity and safety. In these situations, especially if close physical examination of an apparently lifeless person is prevented or examination by an authorized person cannot be accomplished, it can be difficult to be absolutely certain that death has occurred.