Abstract
This study was presented in part at the annual meeting of the Wilderness Medical Society at Aspen, Colorado, in August 1986 and at “Mountain Medicine 1987,” Leavenworth, Washington, in November 1987.
We questioned 220 injured rock climbers or their partners seen consecutively at the Yosemite (California) Medical Clinic over 3 ½ years regarding details of their accidents. Injury type and location were extracted from medical records and severity quantified. The National Park Service rescued 27% of the climbers. Injured climbers were characteristically male (88%) and experienced (mean 5.9 years) and typically fell while leading climbs (66%). Among 451 injuries, 50% were to the skin or subcutaneous tissues, while 28% involved the lower extremity and were predominantly fractures. In terms of each climber's most severe injury (n = 220), 45% involved the lower extremities (30% from the ankle alone). Head injury or hypothermia caused 12 of 13 fatalities, showing the lowest case-fatality rate reported to date among injured climbers (6%). Rescue personnel successfully managed airways in victims of head injuries, anticipated and treated complications of hypothermia, and stabilized fractures. Victims requiring immediate extensive surgical intervention or blood transfusion usually died before rescue could be effected.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baker S. P., O'Neill B., Haddon W., Jr, Long W. B. The injury severity score: a method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care. J Trauma. 1974 Mar;14(3):187–196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Christian M. S. Morbidity and mortality of car occupants: comparative survey over 24 months. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984 Dec 1;289(6457):1525–1526. doi: 10.1136/bmj.289.6457.1525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FERRIS B. G., Jr Hazards to health. Mountain-climbing accidents in the United States. N Engl J Med. 1963 Feb 21;268:430–431. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196302212680809. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Foray J., Herry J. P., Vallet J. H., Lacoste V., Cote D., Cahen C. Les accidents de montagne. Etude d'une statistique de 1 819 observations. Chirurgie. 1982;108(9):724–733. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HOUSTON C. S. Acute pulmonary edema of high altitude. N Engl J Med. 1960 Sep 8;263:478–480. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196009082631003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hackett P. H., Rennie D. Rales, peripheral edema, retinal hemorrhage and acute mountain sickness. Am J Med. 1979 Aug;67(2):214–218. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(79)90393-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maull K. I., Whitley R. E., Cardea J. A. Vertical deceleration injuries. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1981 Aug;153(2):233–236. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McLennan J. G., Ungersma J. Mountaineering accidents in the Sierra Nevada. Am J Sports Med. 1983 May-Jun;11(3):160–163. doi: 10.1177/036354658301100310. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Scalea T., Goldstein A., Phillips T., Sclafani S. J., Panetta T., McAuley J., Shaftan G. An analysis of 161 falls from a height: the 'jumper syndrome'. J Trauma. 1986 Aug;26(8):706–712. doi: 10.1097/00005373-198608000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wilson R., Mills W. J., Jr, Rodgers D. R., Propst M. T. Death on Denali. West J Med. 1978 Jun;128(6):471–476. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]