- Outdoor Emergency Care
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Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) is an award winning course that was first developed by the National Ski Patrol in the 1980s[1] for certification in first aid, CPR and other pre-hospital care and treatment for possible injuries in non-urban settings. Outdoor Emergency Care technicians provide care at ski resorts, wilderness settings, white-water excursions, mountain bike events, and in many other outdoor environments.
Basic emergency skills taught include using airway adjuncts, assisting patients with medications, splinting and bandaging, providing emergency care for environmental illnesses and injuries, using special equipment and techniques particular to non-urban rescuers, and managing prolonged transport.
Contents
Training
The standard of training and actual procedures and requirements for OEC is very similar those of the EMT-Basic course and the curriculum contains the skills identified in the US Department of Transportation (DOT) 1994 EMT-Basic National Standard Curriculum[1], although training is specific to needs in outdoor scenarios. OEC technicians are first responders and have the knowledge to care for and treat patients, but not to diagnose them.
Technicians must attend annual OEC refresher courses in order to maintain their certification. The OEC refreshers cover 1/3 of the OEC curriculum each year which cycles through the entire course every three years. OEC technicians are trained to understand medical, legal and ethical issues, to use innovative methods to perform their tasks, and to be mindful of consent and refusal of care. OEC technicians are able to effectively interface with the next level of care for their patients, usually EMTs and hospitals.
See also
- first aid
- ski patrol
- National Ski Patrol
- oxygen first aid
- medical emergency
- emergency medical services
- triage
- paramedic
- medic
- certified first responder
- Wilderness medical emergency
External links
References
Outdoor Emergency Care: Comprehensive Prehospital Care for Nonurban Settings (4th ed.). Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Categories:- Emergency medical services
- Emergency medical certifications
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