Search

Tactical and Medical Decision Making in Avalanche Rescue based on AvaSAR and AvaLife

Snow sports in the backcountry have seen a steep increase in popularity, and therefore preparedness for efficient companion and organized rescue is important. While technical rescue skills are widely taught, there is a lack of knowledge regarding tactical decision making and first aid for avalanche patients. The stressful and time-critical situation for first responders requires rule-based decision support tools such as AvaSAR and AvaLife.

Based on multiple rescue scenarios, you will learn to use AvaSAR and AvaLife protocols to make survival chance optimized tactical decisions in allocating the limited resources in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient, yet respecting an acceptable risk-benefit of the rescuers. 

Understanding the fundamental concepts of the holistic approach of AvaLife and AvaSAR will allow you to look at and teach avalanche rescue and first aid for avalanche patients in a strictly survival chance focused manner. 

AvaLife has been selected by EMRA’s Research Committee to be part of the most practice-affirming or practice-changing papers recently published and is listed in “Greatest Hits in Emergency Medicine Research: 2023” 

Supporting documents:
All AvaLife Protocolls can be downloaded for free in almost 20 languages at www.mountainsafety.info 
Click on “AvaLife” at the bottom of the page and choose the “AvaLife – free download” option to access the complimentary documents. 

AvaLife—A New Multi-Disciplinary Approach Supported by Accident and Field Test Data to Optimize Survival Chances in Rescue and First Aid of Avalanche Patients: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9104102/ 

Registration: 
Please send an e-mail to info@MountainSafety.info including your full name, organization and contact phone number. 

Date
Saturday 28 September 2024

Time
Workshop 1: 08:30 – 11:30
Workshop 2: 12:30 – 15:30

Location
Building: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Medical Health Faculty Building 1 (google maps)

Room: Auditorium 4 (MH U6.A4C) (mazemap)

Workshop organizers
MountainSafety.info medical and avalanche rescue workgroup members, Manuel Genswein 

Workshop costs
Free