“Outdoor Medical Emergency Handbook: First Aid for Travelers, Backpackers, Adventurers” ($19.95, Firefly)
Though many of us have become accustomed to a largely sedentary lifestyle, a significant share of the public has turned to adventure travel as a healthy and exciting alternative. The authors are two doctors, Dr. Spike Briggs and Dr. Campbell Mackenzie, who consider this trend a good thingbut with risks. They fear that the more “vulnerable explorers — less fit, younger and older — will venture beyond the ready reach of appropriate hospital care.” And so they have put together the “Outdoor Medical Emergency Handbook,” a portable reference book and literary companion for travelers. It discusses ailments and treatments that cover all age groups and all types of outdoor travel, from minor problems to more severe illnesses and injuries. What’s more, it anticipates what could go wrong: There is a section, for example, on preparation and planning that the authors insist travelers should read before departure as a preventive measure. The book is divided into six sections: preparation, emergencies, environmental risks, accidents and trauma, medical disorders (from abdominal disorders to motion sickness) and treatments, and emergency medical procedures. The useful appendices include a medical-screening questionnaire, a vital-signs monitoring chart, an immunization guide, a medical kit list and a guide to commonly used drugs. In addition, the inside back cover contains an antibiotic guide. It comes in a practical waterproof cover. An essential and important guide. Chicago Tribune
