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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Wilderness Quality and Visitors' Wilderness Attitudes: ManagementImplications

/ This study examines whether or not wilderness visitors'attitudes toward wilderness are related to the quality of the wilderness thathas been visited. From three Ontario, Canada, provincial parks (Algonquin,Killarney, and Quetico), a sample of 540 wilderness campers was randomlyselected from a total of 138,317 campers. People sampled ranged in age from15 to 75 years with a mean of slightly over 37. They were highly educated. Amajority of them resided in urban or suburban areas. Significant correlationsbetween visitors' levels of wilderness attitudes and wilderness qualitywere found. However, wilderness quality evaluated by wilderness visitors(subjective quality) did not agree with that evaluated by the wildernessmanagers (objective quality).KEY WORDS: Wilderness; Attitudes; Subjective quality; Objectivequality

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Wilderness event medicine.

OBJECTIVES: Wilderness Event Medicine (WEM), that is, the care of large groups of people participating in events in remote areas, is a rapidly growing subspecialty of wilderness medicine. Our goals are to report the injury rates from one wilderness event and to suggest ways to advance this emerging field. METHODS: We describe a 1-day wilderness hike and compare the injury rates from this one event with rates from other urban and wilderness events. RESULTS: Of the total 350 hikers, 6 persons presented for medical evaluation (5 dehydration and 1 orthopedic), yielding a rate of 17 evaluations per 1000 person-days of exposure. Only 1 person (or 2.9 per 1000) required medical assistance beyond oral rehydration. These rates are comparable to rates reported for urban events and other wilderness activities. CONCLUSIONS: According to very limited reports, the rates of injuries in wilderness events are similar to those for urban events. We recommend defining a wilderness event as an event with more than 200 participants and where the time from injury to care at a medical facility is likely to be greater than 1 hour. We also suggest the creation of a database of wilderness events, including standardized terms for the descriptions of activities, terrain, injuries, and medical response. Such a database could be used to help event planners anticipate and perhaps prevent injuries and to prepare effectively for those injuries that do occur.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Linking the Wilderness Perception Mapping Concept to the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum

/ This paper examines the application of a wilderness perception mapping (WPM) approach to enhancingthe recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS). WPM provides a greater understanding of the multiple relationships between wilderness environments and wilderness user experience. The results from a case study indicate that different recreation opportunity settings provide experiential conditions of wilderness for different groups. Wilderness perception mapping complements the use of ROS and can be applied to wilderness management.KEY WORDS: Geographical information systems; Recreation opportunity spectrum; Outdoor recreation planning; Wilderness management; Wilderness perception mapping; New Zealand

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

A Comparison of Urban-Proximate and Urban-Distant Wilderness Users on Selected Variables.

/ The underlying premise of this study is that wilderness areas attract visitors desiring or expecting different wilderness experiences. In this study, wilderness areas were dichotomized according to distance from a large urban center (urban-proximate vs urban-distant). Four wilderness areas in southern California were used as the study sites. Comparisons were made on selected attributes commonly associated with the wilderness experience. Differences were observed on a number of variables such as acceptable number and type of encounters with other visitors, management preferences, and preferred group sizes. The findings of this study are congruent with those from previous studies and suggest that distance to large urban centers may be a functional variable in explaining differences among selected wilderness attributes.KEY WORDS: Expectancy theory; Normative standards; Wilderness; Wilderness experience; Urbanization

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Lost in the wilderness: terror management, action orientation, and nature evaluation.

The authors propose that wilderness is intrinsically associated with death, and, consequently, terror management concerns may promote more negative evaluations of wilderness. Consistent with this, wilderness inspired more thoughts about death than either cultivated nature or urban environments (Study 1), and death reminders reduced perceived beauty of wilderness (Study 2). The authors further suggest that active self-regulation facilitates suppression of the dark side of wilderness. Consistent with this, action orientation was positively related to perceived beauty of wilderness (Study 3), and after viewing wilderness, action-oriented individuals were more efficient at suppressing the association between wilderness and death than state-oriented individuals (Study 4). Direct death reminders overruled the effects of action orientation on nature evaluation (Study 5), presumably because direct death reminders are difficult to suppress even for action-oriented individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Coliform and pathologic bacteria in Sierra Nevada national forest wilderness area lakes and streams.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze backcountry-area water quality in US Department of Agriculture Forest Service-designated wilderness areas for the presence of coliform and potentially pathogenic bacteria. METHODS: Thirty-one backcountry lakes and streams were selected that would stratify the risk based on use by backpackers, pack animals, commercial grazing animals, or natural unaffected wilderness areas. Sites included Desolation Wilderness (10 sites), Carson-Iceberg Wilderness (4 sites), Emigrant Wilderness (3 sites), Hoover Wilderness (6 sites), John Muir Wilderness (3 sites), and Golden Trout Wilderness (5 sites). Water was collected in sterile tubes and quantification was performed through Millipore bacterial samplers. On return to the laboratory, bacteria were harvested from the samplers and subjected to qualitative analysis that identified species according to standard laboratory methods. RESULTS: Coliform bacteria were detected in 14 of 31 sites (45%). Eight sites had high levels of coliforms. All 8 of these sites correlated with heavy human use or commercial grazing. Coliforms were identified as Escherichia coli. In addition, 1 sample contained Yersinia entercolitica. All samples contained expected amounts of normal aquatic bacteria, including Pseudomonas spp, Rahnella aquatilis, Serratia spp, and other nonpathogenic species of Yersinia in concentrations of 600 to 10,000 colony-forming units per 100 mL. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, coliform bacteria were found at nearly half of the sampling sites. High coliform levels correlated with high-impact human use or cattle grazing.

California↗
PubMed2002

Wilderness medicine.

Wilderness medicine is not a single entity. It encompasses clinical practice, instruction, and research as they pertain to wilderness settings. Clinical practice often takes place in removed settings far from traditional medical resources and facilities. Many of the conditions treated are unique to wilderness medicine. Decisions commonly are based on limited information. Practitioners of wilderness medicine must combine specialized training, resourcefulness, and improvisation. Instruction and research in wilderness medicine often are directed at clinical practice, with the focus on maximizing patient outcome. Preparation and planning are the best methods of reducing illness and injury; these involve conditioning and choosing clothing and equipment, including the medical kit. Conditioning should mimic the type of trip or activity, because choice will depend on the type, complexity, and duration of the trip, the anticipated environmental conditions, and specific needs of the group. Equipment should be designed for the type of activity, in good working condition, and familiar to the members of the group. The medical kit should include basic medical supplies, with additional supplies and equipment depending on the specific trip, the anticipated needs of the group, and their level of medical training and expertise. Once in the wilderness, the focus shifts from preparation and planning to prevention of illness and injury. This includes the use of safety equipment, appropriate shelter, water treatment, and location knowledge. The most common methods of water treatment are mechanical filters, chemicals, and heat. When an injury or illness does occur in the wilderness, proper assessment of the patient is essential to determine both the appropriate treatment and the need for evacuation to definitive care. This is best accomplished with an organized, systematic approach. The decision of what treatment should be initiated and if the patient requires evacuation to definitive care often is difficult. There are four phases of an SAR event: location, access, stabilization, and evacuation. Evacuation may require the assistance of organized search and rescue services.

Camping↗
PubMed1998

Changes in Use of Three Oregon, USA, Wildernesses

/ Several studies have suggested that use of wildernesses within national forests is declining. Data from three wildernesses in Oregon (based on mandatory permits and voluntary registration) indicate that between 1976 and 1991 in two areas and between 1980 and 1993 in another area the number of recreational visitor days (RVDs) has declined between 23% and 63%. However, the number of visits has remained roughly stable in one area and more than doubled in the other two. The disparity between the two measures of use may be the result of shifts from mainly overnight to mainly day use in these wildernesses. Day use has increased from about 30% to over 60% of all visits. Trends are different enough in each wilderness to warrant independent analyses over time. Management implications of using different measures of use as well as observed trends are discussed.KEY WORDS: Wilderness management; Wilderness use; Trends

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Wilderness mortalities: a 13-year experience.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiology of wilderness mortalities in a localized area with diverse terrain. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the Pima County (Arizona) Sheriff's Office (PCSO) search and rescue logs and case reports, hospital records, and autopsy reports for all wilderness deaths from 1980 to 1992. The study group comprised all victims of injury or illness in Pima County wilderness who died during a 13-year period in a location remote enough so that standard ground-based emergency medical services units could not extract the body. RESULTS: One hundred fatalities occurred during the 13-year study period. There were 59 unintentional traumas, 18 suicides, 9 homicides, 12 medically related deaths, and 2 deaths of unknown causes. Toxicology tests performed on body fluids yielded positive findings for alcohol in a total of 50 (50%) cases and positive findings for drugs of abuse in 12 (12%) cases. It was estimated that alcohol was "a very probable" or "a probable" causative factor in 23 (40%) of the 59 unintentional trauma deaths, and in 1 (8.3%) of the 12 medically related deaths. Fifty-five (55%) deaths were witnessed events, with 45 (80%) of these victims reported as dying immediately or before arrival of search and rescue personnel. Ten (10%) victims received resuscitation in the field, and according to a review of hospital charts and autopsy reports, only 2 victims had a potentially survivable injury or illness. CONCLUSION: Many wilderness mortalities are related to incidents involving alcohol. Once the accident or injury has occurred, the majority of deaths are immediate, or at least before the arrival of medical personnel. Higher levels of medical care would not have improved the outcomes of those who did survive long enough to receive medical care. Therefore, primary efforts to reduce mortalities in the wilderness should be directed toward prevention, especially diminishing alcohol use in wilderness areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Wilderness and biodiversity conservation.

Human pressure threatens many species and ecosystems, so conservation efforts necessarily prioritize saving them. However, conservation should clearly be proactive wherever possible. In this article, we assess the biodiversity conservation value, and specifically the irreplaceability in terms of species endemism, of those of the planet's ecosystems that remain intact. We find that 24 wilderness areas, all > or = 1 million hectares, are > or = 70% intact and have human densities of less than or equal to five people per km2. This wilderness covers 44% of all land but is inhabited by only 3% of people. Given this sparse population, wilderness conservation is cost-effective, especially if ecosystem service value is incorporated. Soberingly, however, most wilderness is not speciose: only 18% of plants and 10% of terrestrial vertebrates are endemic to individual wildernesses, the majority restricted to Amazonia, Congo, New Guinea, the Miombo-Mopane woodlands, and the North American deserts. Global conservation strategy must target these five wildernesses while continuing to prioritize threatened biodiversity hotspots.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Epidemiology of wilderness search and rescue in New Hampshire, 1999-2001.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of wilderness search and rescue in a region with easily accessible, heavily used wilderness areas. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department wilderness search-and-rescue reports between January 1999 and December 2001. The study group consisted of all the subjects of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department search and rescue in the state of New Hampshire during the study period. Demographics, types of incidents, type and location of injuries, environmental factors, fatalities, and use of medical services for all the subjects were analyzed. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-one incidents involving 457 subjects were analyzed. The mean age of the subjects in the incidents was 35.6 years, with 64.5% men and 35.4% women; 73% of the subjects resided in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. At the time of the incident, 57.3% of the subjects were hiking. Injuries precipitated 39.3% of the rescues, whereas lost and missing persons accounted for 41.4%. Fractures accounted for 33.7% of the reported injuries; 49.7% of the injuries were to the lower extremities. Sixty-four of the subjects (14%) died; 32.8% drowned, and 23.4% died from cardiac events. Volunteers were used in 53.3% of the rescues, a rescuer was injured in 2.5% of the incidents, and at least 36.4% of the subjects were transported to a hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent demographic group requiring search-and-rescue efforts in New Hampshire was men aged 30 to 40 years who were hiking and who resided within a 4-hour drive of the area where they encountered difficulty. To decrease the number of people involved in most search and rescue, efforts should be focused on preventing wilderness users from getting lost and preventing lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries. Wilderness deaths may be prevented by focusing attention on cardiac health in wilderness users older than 50 years and on water safety.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

An introduction to wilderness medicine.

As individuals increasingly recreate in wilderness settings, the medical community is faced with increasing numbers of injuries and illnesses occurring in remote and austere locations. In response to this, the specialized and dynamic field of wilderness medicine has developed to care for and counsel those participating in wilderness pursuits. This article adds clarity to the definition of wilderness medicine and examines the current state of wilderness medicine, including the scope of practice in the United States.

Emergency Medical Services↗
PubMed1992

Wilderness injuries and illnesses.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine injury and illness patterns and occurrence rates during wilderness recreation. DESIGN: Prospective injury and illness surveillance study. SETTING: Wilderness areas throughout the Western hemisphere. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: All students and instructors on National Outdoor Leadership School courses over a five-year period. MAIN RESULTS: A single fatality occurred, resulting in a death rate of 0.28 per 100,000 person-days of exposure. Injuries occurred at a rate of 2.3 per 1,000 person-days of exposure. Sprains and strains and soft tissue injuries accounted for 80% of the injuries. The illness rate was 1.5 per 1,000 person-days of exposure. Sixty percent of illnesses were due to nonspecific viral illnesses or diarrhea; hygiene appeared to have a significant impact on the incidence of these illnesses. Thirty-nine percent of the injuries and illnesses required evacuation (1.5 per 1,000 person-days of exposure). CONCLUSION: The injury and illness patterns indicate that wilderness medical efforts should concentrate on wilderness hygiene and management of musculoskeletal injuries and soft tissue wounds. The data also indicate that wilderness activities can be conducted relatively safely, but the decision to participate should be individualized, with an understanding of risks versus benefits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

A wilderness medicine course for pediatric residents.

OBJECTIVE: To design a structured curriculum to teach pediatric residents about wilderness medicine. BACKGROUND: An increasing number of children are involved in more rigorous and potentially risky outdoor activities. Despite the breadth of exposure characteristic of most pediatric residences, we are aware of no formalized syllabus that prepares residents to both treat injuries sustained in outdoor pursuits, and help parents and children to prepare safely for such activities. METHODS: The first half of the course was designed to teach a broad range of topics in wilderness medicine through a series of readings, lectures, and field trips. The second half of the course involved a six-day course in wilderness skills. RESULTS: Over a three-week period, the major topics of wilderness medicine were thoroughly covered. The three residents involved in the planning and execution of the course felt that the course succeeded in filling an important gap in their pediatric residency training. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a structured wilderness medicine elective to pediatric residencies, with or without a field component, may provide a valuable opportunity for pediatric residents to broaden their skills and knowledge base to include these increasingly important topics.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Morbidity and mortality in the wilderness.

The medical literature is limited regarding current wilderness morbidity and mortality statistics. Available studies concentrate on selected wilderness activities. This study retrospectively examines wilderness injuries, illnesses, and mortality based on case incident report files from eight National Park Service parks within California over a three-year period. Data were extracted regarding type of illness or injury, body area affected, age, gender, month in which the event occurred, and activity in which the victim was involved at the time of the event. The overall occurrence of nonfatal events was 9.2 people per 100,000 visits. More than 70% of all nonfatal events were related to musculoskeletal or soft-tissue injury. The most frequently involved body area was the lower limbs (38%). Seventy-eight mortalities occurred during the three years studied, resulting in an overall mortality rate of 0.26 deaths per 100,000 visits. Men accounted for 78% of the deaths. Heart disease, drowning and falls were the most common causes of death. The information and statistics on morbidity and mortality in California wilderness areas that this study provides may be used to guide future wilderness use, education, and management. A standardized, computerized database would greatly facilitate future evaluations, decisions, and policies.

California↗