Efficacy of Topical Treatments for Chrysaora chinensis Species: A Human Model in Comparison with an In Vitro Model.

Objectives: This study sought to create a model for testing topical treatment of jellyfish stings. It sought to determine which treatments 1) stimulate/inhibit nematocyst discharge; 2) decrease pain; and 3) decrease skin inflammation; it also sought to discover whether there is a clinical correlation between stimulated nematocyst discharge observed in vitro to the pain and erythema experienced by humans stung by a particular species of jellyfish, C chinensis.

Methods: Chrysaora chinensis stung 96 human subjects, who were then treated with isopropyl alcohol, hot water, acetic acid, papain meat tenderizer, lidocaine, or sodium bicarbonate.

A Chemical Heat Pack-Based Method For Consistent Heating of Intravenous Fluids.

Background: Transfusion of cold intravenous fluids (IVF) can exacerbate hypothermia. Civilian and military guidelines recommend heated IVF for hypothermic patients; however, there is currently no ideal IVF heating system for use in resource-limited settings.

Objective: Development of a system that uses flameless ration heaters (FRH) and an insulated sleeve for the consistent delivery of IVF at physiologically appropriate temperatures (40°-42°C) over the range of ambient conditions typical of the prehospital and wilderness environments.

A review of emergency medical services events in US national parks from 2007 to 2011.

Objective: Outdoor recreation is growing in the United States, with more than 279 million annual visitors to areas controlled by the National Park Service (NPS). Emergency medical needs in these parks are overseen by the National Park's rangers within the NPS Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. This study examines medical and traumatic emergencies throughout the NPS over a 5-year period to better understand the types of events and fatalities rangers encounter, both regionally and on a national scale.