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Medical Emergencies · Chapter 12 Not started
Substance Abuse and Poisoning
Toxins by ingestion, inhalation, absorption, and injection — and the ones that matter on the hill.
Key points
- Poisons enter four ways: ingestion, inhalation, absorption, and injection — route changes both onset and treatment.
- Scene safety first with inhaled toxins: carbon monoxide from snowcats, generators, or poorly vented huts is odorless and can take down rescuers too.
- CO poisoning presents with headache, nausea, dizziness, and confusion — fresh air and high-flow oxygen are the treatment.
- Opioid overdose triad: pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, decreased responsiveness — support ventilation; naloxone if protocols allow.
- Alcohol impairs judgment, accelerates hypothermia through vasodilation, and can mask serious injury — never write off an 'intoxicated' patient without a full assessment.
- Gather evidence for the hospital: containers, remaining pills, timing, and amount.
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