From the editior: We wrote and not once what medicine the mountain hunter has to have in his kit but we all have our own preferences and understanding what they’ll need at first. Ali Aliev whom you all know shares his experience.
The medical kit of the mountain hunter is the same like the kit of the usual hunter but with some additions. It’d be better to divide the medicine chests to the kits for the mountain hunts and universal kits. The last one has to be separated to the stationary kit which better to leave in the camp and the mobile one which you have always to take with you. You need to remember about all surprises which can happen in the mountains and about the situations when you can’t get the professional help in time. Thus the mobile medicine kit has to be the obligatory part of your equipment. I have repeatedly had to make sure of this.
I have to add that the usage of some drugs ask for the special knowledge and skills. It applies to injections and surgical interventions. If you don’t know what to do, better not to risk or you can make harm.
“Stationary”.
My Main Kit is based on the auto medice kit. I have the special box which was in the car which I’ve bought in Germany. The container is very sturdy and I always take it with me.
The composition of the kit is so:
1. Sanitizers – hydrogen peroxide (universal antiseptic broad spectrum, great for handling and washing of external wounds); as the additional stock – the pack of peroxide (peroxide tablets that can be diluted); Bactine (stronger medication for burns and abrasions and skin lesions); antiseptic plasters of different types and purpose (usually sold in sets); alcohol wipes (for wiping and cleaning the skin before the injection); wet wipes (for personal hygiene); furatsilin (for gargling and wound treatment).
2. Anestatic and anti shock medicene – Spazmalgon (replacement of obsolete analgin – combined analgesic and antispasmodic: head, kidney, dental, post-traumatic pain); Ketonal (stronger pain medication broad-spectrum, effective, proven itself – in fractures and severe injuries); No-Spa ( from spasms of various nature); lidocaine in ampoules (local anaesthetic injections).
3. From the heartache Validol- (a mild sedative with a vasodilator effect); nitroglycerin (stronger medication to prevent vasospasm, but you need to keep in mind that this drug usually causes a severe headache.
4. Antipyretics – acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin (used also in the cases of the "mountain" disease and as a blood-thinning agent); paracetamol (analgesic-antipyretic, has analgesic, antipyretic and weak anti-inflammatory effect); "Coldrex", "Theraflu" and the other like these ones (comprehensive preventive medications, good for all types of colds and their symptoms).
5. Against intoxication, acute diarrhea – activated carbon (enterosorbiruyuschee, detoxification and anti-diarrhea remedy, has a high surface activity, absorbs poisons and toxins from the gastrointestinal tract); amigal (the medicine which destroys all microorganisms, and protozoa); chloramphenicol (also destroys pathogens in the gut); the colibacterin bifidobakterin, bifikol, "Bifiform", "Linex" and analogues to choose from (an effective means to restore the normal microflora of the intestine, especially the last two drugs).
6. From pain in the joints and spine (neuralgia, rheumatism) – Ketonal, diclofenac gel (effective analgesic); finalgon (vasodilator analgesic for external use, local action).
7. From burns, scuffs – panthenol (used to accelerate healing in case of damage to the skin and mucous membranes of various origins: abrasions, thermal and sunburn, aseptic postoperative wounds, scuffs, dermatitis); cream "Boro Plus" (effective remedy for scuffs).
8. Antihistamines – suprastin (a powerful remedy for allergies, insect bites and snakes, the first remedy for anaphylactic shock, unlike tavegil does not have a hypnotic effect).
9. Antibiotics – Sumamed (a powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic from almost any bacterial infections, it relies antifungal drug fluconazole).
10. Digestive enzymes – festal (a combined drug that will allow you to digest steel scrap, is very effective after eating in roadside cafes).
11. Antihypertonic – andipal (helps to reduce blood pressure). "First aid" in hypertension – capoten.
12. Sedatives – Valerian extract.
13. From abrasions and wounds – ointment "Spasatel".
14. Sunscreen SPF 30, protective lipstick
15. Dressing material – sterile and non-sterile bandages, elastic bandages, sterile napkins, cotton wool, all kinds of plasters antiseptic, corn, water resistant and alcohol wipes for injection
16. Tools – small surgical set: scalpel with replaceable blades, clamps, tweezers, the set of catguts with needles, a plait, sterile gloves, syringes for 2, 5 and 10 ml.
17. Balm "Star»
18. Baby powder
Mobile
Mountains don’t like when people treat them not seriously. I saw it and not once. The mountain hunt for the grouses didn’t foretell anything dramatic but it could be worse if I didn’t have the mobile kit. The hunting on the leks in the mountains isn’t the same like hunting on the plain. We spent 3 days while found the lek which was located on the altitude 2500-2600 masl and in a few hours walk from the camp and 1000 meters of the height difference. But it worth it. We left the camp at 2 am and rode by horses while it was possible. The animals fall deep into the snow and we had to ride around the most dangerous places. Suddenly on one of the rocky places the horse of my fellow stumbled and he could not stay in the saddle and fell under the hooves of a frightened animal. The result is a comminuted fracture of the tibia and tibia with the displacement of fragments.
I estimated the situation and send the guide for a help. I asked him to take the evacuation equipment such as the piece of tarpaulin and the strap from the car. My friend ornithologist was in a bad condition. I gave him the couple of pill of Ketonal and fixed the unnaturally twisted leg. I did it with the help of the sticks and the belt. At the beginning he didn’t allow to make it and cursed loudly when I was doing it.
I used Ketonal which had in the mobile kit. If you ask me how often I use it , I would reply – regularly. It’s not always me, but sometimes my fellows have head or toothache and it happens on the mountains. But non of them carries the same kit. I hope that this story will help them to realize how important it can be. The composition of my mobile medicine kit is a truncated version of the Stationary kit but with the bias to the survival. It fits in the small plastic case from the patches. The case burns well if I need it to make fire in the bad weather and contains 200 ml of liquid if I use it as the cup. Previously I used the soft waterproof bag but all pills in it , have been always erased to powder. Outside, the case is pulled with a rubber ring, which can be used as a plait or to fix something. My mini list of the medicine was made with the accounting of my weak points.
1) bandage elastic
2) bandage sterile
3) alcohol wipes
4) napkin diseminarea
5) duct tape silver as killers in American films, glue all
6) patches bactericidal, corn, different sizes
7) sunscreen cream with lipstick
8) gas lighter
9) Ketonal
10) and strong
11) levomicetin
(12) andipal
13) paracetomol
14) suprastin
15) Riboxin
16) potassium orotate
17) trental
The last three are adaptogens and I have them just in case because need them only in the long trips which are organized on the height from 3500 masl.
It took us 5 hours to pull down to the camp my friend ornithologist. But now I know that if you have to carry the man with the weight of 70 kg you need not less than six strong men. Most of the way we went by road though it was covered by snow.
Highlands.
Unfortunately the adaptation skills of Home sapiens are not perfect because they evolved on the plain not in the mountains. For example one of the features of our body is to regulate the respiratory rate not by the amount of oxygen needed in the blood, but by the excess carbon dioxide in the body. It’s one of the reasons of the mountains disease. The symptoms are higher when the human exhausts himself with physical activities in the conditions of low partial pressure of oxygen.
I belong to the type of people who often have such kind of problems. The first symptoms appear on the altitude from 3000 masl. I can’t stay on the height 3600-3800 masl (Alatau) without adaptation. Fortunately it’s the highest mountains in Kazakhstan where we can hunt but the mountains are not only in our Republic.
I had to treat very seriously to the expedition to Nepal because the hunts there took place on the height about 5000 masl. I got the trophy on 5165 masl. Before the trip I needed to increase my
cardiorespiratory endurance and hematocrit ( the number of erythrocytes'). The prep was conducted in three directions: the intensive training on the height more than 2000 masl., medical support during that period and intension training on the maximum altitude just before the trip.
All those recommendation I’d received from the sport doctors and climbers. I has to note that the medicine mention below has to be coordinated with your doctor!
Adaptogens:
1. Multivitamin, for example, "Vitrum", vitamins will never be extra
2. Ascorbic acid is a supplier of vitamin C for the body.
3. Acetazolamide (diacarb, diamox) – diuretic (diuretic), which reduces intracranial pressure and allows to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of mountain disease. The presence of bursting headaches, increasing with strain, slopes, feeling of pressure on the eyeballs from inside the skull, nausea, especially vomiting indicate an increase of intracranial pressure and in most cases are an indication for admission.
4. Dexamethasone reduces the severity of acute mountain sickness when you climb to the height of over 4000 m. Preventive treatment can be started a few hours before climbing. The drug relieves symptoms of acute mountain disease for several hours, but does not promote acclimatization.
5. Dibazol – vasodilator with adaptogenic properties
6. "Viagra" – a few years ago the scientists began to study the usage of "Viagra" as a preventive measure. The drug improves peripheral blood circulation, including in the lungs, its enzymes block vascular spasm (its’ not necessary to inform your partner about taking the drug)
7. Calcium pangamate has a distinct antihypoxic effect; calcium Pantothenate (vitamin B3) normalizes metabolism.
8. Potassium orotate normalizes the liver and heart, microcirculation in capillaries, is effective in frostbite.
9. Glutamic acid is an amino acid involved in metabolic processes.
10. Methionine – an amino acid that normalizes the liver in hypoxia, promotes the absorption of fats.
11. Panangin – potassium-magnesium salt of asparagine amino acid, antiarrhythmic agent, conducts K+ ions, Mg2+ into cells.
12. Riboxin stimulates the heart, enhances the action of potassium orotate, has a beneficial effect on the heart and liver.
13. Trental (aspirin, Trombas, Cardiomagnyl) to thin the blood by increasing its viscosity due to dehydration.
Telling the truth most of the hunters don’t need these medicaments even being in the highland. The carbohydrate diet is enough for them. We know that carbohydrate increase the resistance to hypoxia. Being on the height you need to take more glucose, sugar and other easily digestible carbohydrates, but not more than 300-400 g per day.
I’ve mentioned already about training before the hunt and started in a month before the leaving and also took some medicine.
1. Riboxin – active substance inosin, activates the process of blood supply to the heart muscle, improves the energy balance of the myocardium, activates metabolic processes in hypoxia, improves the elasticity of the heart muscle, etc. (2 pills per day, morning-evening).
2. Folic acid (vitamin B9) activates an increase in red blood cells and cellular recovery processes (2 pills per day, morning-evening).
3. Potassium orotate reduces recovery time, increases productivity, stimulates endogenous processes (2 tablets per day, morning-evening).
4. Multivitamins Optimen American company ON, vitamins you can take any vitamins which suit you (2 tablets a day, morning-evening).
5. Glucosamine is the building block of cartilage in joints (2 tablets daily, morning-evening).
I began the active prevention in 4 days before the hike
1. Diacarb (acetazolamide) – a diuretic of medium strength, removes excess water from the ventricles of the brain, as doctors say, It’s the base of the pharmacological prevention of mountain disease. The multifactorial effect of acclimatization made this drug very popular among climbers (125 mg twice a day, morning-evening). In some people, I am among them, it causes tingling fingers and toes, as well as changes in the taste of carbonated drinks. And don't forget to drink more – the drug is diuretic.
2. Gencom – extract of the plant Ginkgo biloba. This dietary BAA improves the elasticity of blood vessels, blood supply and brain activity, reduces blood viscosity, increases the flow of oxygen to the organs, etc. (2 capsules a day, morning-evening).
I have some more drugs for the active therapy.
1. Dexamethasone is a synthetic steroid. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, desensitizing, immunosuppressive, anti-shock and antitoxic effect. Pill №1 of the kit of climbers. Take one tablet (4 mg) every eight hours if symptoms occur.
2. Paracetamol is a widespread non-narcotic analgesic, has anti-inflammatory properties. Take 1000 mg once a day.
The training and medical therapy made very good results. I didn’t suffer from the mountains sickness. I was tired a little bit but it was normal condition for a man who lost 3000 cal per day.
There were 4 hunters in my group and we all were in similar physical conditions and age. The next one was Daniel- the doctor from Spain. He also trained for that trip and hadn’t any health problems. The other two guys Jorge from Catalonia and Enton from France were the mountains guides who were spending half of the year in the mountains. But they both had the mountains disease! They managed to resolve those problems when Daniel and I persuaded them to take pills.
If we talk about the hunt in Nepal I have to mention some moments: take the sunscreen lotion more than F50, lipstick with F20 and festal. The food in the highlands is digested not so easily like on the plaint and better to help your intestinal by enzymes.
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