Department of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, RWTH Aachen Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute of Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 5;19(23):16288. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192316288.
Trekking to high-altitude locations presents inherent health-related hazards, many of which can managed with specific first aid (FA) training. This study evaluates the trip preparation, FA knowledge, and FA self-assessment of trekkers (organized by tour operators vs. individually planned tours). Data obtained shall be used for specific FA trip preparation and management of emergencies en route for this population.
A total of 366 trekkers on the Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal, were interviewed using a questionnaire specifically designed to evaluate their FA knowledge and management of emergencies. Data evaluation was performed using descriptive statistics.
A total of 40.5% of trekkers experienced at least one medical incident during their trip, of which almost 50% were due to acute mountain sickness (AMS). There was more AMS in commercially organized groups than in individually planned ones (55% vs. 40%). For more than 50%, no medical care was available during their trip. A total of 80% could answer only 3/21 FA questions completely correctly. Only 1% showed adequate knowledge concerning FA strategies. A total of 70% were willing to enroll in an FA class specialized towards the needs of trekkers.
The importance of high-altitude FA knowledge and trip preparation is widely underestimated. There is an unmet demand amongst trekkers for specific wilderness FA classes.
徒步前往高海拔地区会带来固有健康相关的危害，其中许多危害可以通过特定的急救（FA）培训来管理。本研究评估了徒步旅行者（由旅行社组织与个人计划的旅行）的旅行准备、FA 知识和 FA 自我评估。获得的数据将用于该人群的特定 FA 旅行准备和途中紧急情况的管理。
使用专门设计的问卷对尼泊尔珠穆朗玛峰大本营徒步旅行的 366 名徒步旅行者进行了访谈，该问卷专门用于评估他们的 FA 知识和紧急情况管理。使用描述性统计数据进行数据评估。
共有 40.5%的徒步旅行者在旅行中至少经历了一次医疗事件，其中近 50%是由于急性高原病（AMS）。在商业组织的团体中，AMS 的发生率高于个人计划的团体（55%比 40%）。对于超过 50%的人，在旅行期间没有医疗服务。共有 80%的人只能完全正确回答 21 个 FA 问题中的 3 个。只有 1%的人对 FA 策略有足够的了解。共有 70%的人愿意参加专门针对徒步旅行者需求的 FA 课程。
高海拔 FA 知识和旅行准备的重要性被广泛低估。徒步旅行者对特定的野外 FA 课程有未满足的需求。
