Cataracts are the major cause of blindness and visual impairment in developing countries and contribute to more than 90% of the total disability adjusted life years.

In 2020, an estimated 15.2 million (12.7-17.9) people worldwide aged 50+ years were blind due to cataract.

In this episode, we talk with Dr James Guzek MD and Director AJ Martinson about the movie ‘The End of Blindness’ and the work being done in Ethiopia to combat cataract-related blindness. We talk about the awe-inspiring precision micro-surgery being performed in mobile operating theatres that can be carried around in the back of an SUV, most often in the middle of nowhere, the impact cataract-related blindness has on the local population, and the mindset required to make a difference in extreme environments far removed from the hi-tech operating theatres in the West.

Dr James Guzek has been practicing ophthalmology for over 30 years and has served as the Chief of Ophthalmology for several years at the J. L. Pettis VA Hospital, Loma Linda, California as well as working in Saudi Arabia for three years, Sri Lanka for three years and Ghana for four years before moving to the Pacific Cataract and Laser surgery institute, Kennewick, Washington where he is now based.

AJ Martinson has worked as a producer and director on several projects ranging from documentaries, independent films and spy thrillers, and has also founded his own production company, Section 3 Films, which creates commercials, documentaries and narrative films with an emphasis on branded content for the web.

They have in common a desire to use their skills to help those in need and also to bring about a lasting and positive change to areas of the world where most often, the need is greatest but resources the fewest.

To find out more please check it out here https://theendofblindness.com/ 

Technical Disclaimer - Pav, our host had some audio issues while recording this which impacted the quality of the sound, however we felt the content here was so good we wanted to share it with you.

In this episode Will Duffin and Eoin Walker talk about the recently released 'Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines on Anaphylaxis'. They examine and analyse the paper's remit, cohort involved, methodological structure, guideline recommendations, and variations compared to other guidelines (NICE, Resuscitation Council). One of the key seminal recommendations that are not mentioned in the episode but the hosts fundamentally agree with is the training of non-medical personnel to deliver adrenaline to the anaphylactic patient.

They also examine the definitions of anaphylaxis, the variation of symptomatology that anaphylaxis can present with, and the limitations of the guidelines. They also include their anecdotal experience to emphasise the importance that environmental and wilderness factors play in such cases. They finally discuss the emphasis on intramuscular adrenaline and some of the limitations of other recommendations which feature in the guidelines. The paper can be found here, together with the other international guidelines mentioned in the episode:

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S108060322100212X?token=65430C811F679190782505A2FDAB85E27620770B662073A9F741D12C220C57DF627BA14C09B64F01AEB94D1986F44242&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20220204143354

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg134

https://www.resus.org.uk/library/additional-guidance/guidance-anaphylaxis/emergency-treatment

In this episode WEM Medical Director Dr Will Duffin is joined by two experienced humanitarian emergency medical responders from frontline medical aid charity UK-Med: Emergency Department nurse and UK-Med’s Health Referent David Anderson and Consultant Paediatrician - Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Stephen Owens. They discuss the findings of UK Med’s Global Health Responders Report (Sept 2021) and reflect on their own experiences of humanitarian deployments and how releasing NHS staff to do this vital work:

Harrison Carter is a conservation biologist, storyteller and explorer with a fascination with human/wildlife conflict that has taken him to some of the world's most extraordinary places. He has travelled and filmed in over 50 countries worldwide, and his expeditions include traversing the Guyanese jungle, Indonesian rainforests, and Sri Lankan lowlands in search of the world's most deadly snakes and their stories. Starting his career in Investment Banking and Management Consultancy, Harrison is now studying for his Masters degree in conservation and biodiversity at the University of Exeter before heading out on his next adventure.

Alex is a trainee emergency medicine doctor based in Bristol, who wholeheartedly believes in taking the road less travelled. She joins us to share some of her insights into carving a career in expedition medicine, and how developing this passion has enhanced her NHS job.

She completed the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2015 and the International Diploma in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine in 2018. She has just completed her dissertation for Masters in Global Health and Remote Healthcare covering experiences of expedition medics treating local staff on Kilimanjaro.

Alex has travelled extensively, with expeditions from Kilimanjaro to the Amazon, Antarctica, and the Great wall of China. She has a passion for the outdoors and holds Summer Mountain Leader, Advanced PADI, and Competent Crew qualifications. She is an aspiring ski tourer, climber, and mountain biker.

Follow her at @alex_expeditionmedic on instagram.

In this conversation we talk with Wayne Auton about his journey through three domains of practice; the military, pre-hospital care, and mountaineering. We examine the concept of High Performing Teams (HPT) in all three domains and some of the features of HPT that unite the different practices.

Wayne initially joined the military/Royal Marine Commandos and through time specialised as a sniper. He then transitioned through into pre-hospital care as a paramedic, progressing on to become a Critical Care Paramedic or CCP within a different high-performing team and pre-hospital HEMS service. Finally, we look at his recent transition to mountaineering and alpinism in Chamonix, French Alps. We examine some of the uniting HPT concepts around kit husbandry, homeostatic teamwork, community, debrief, commitment to continual improvement, and feedback. We also examine the attention to detail and mentoring as part of working within these teams and the vital concept of adaptation to the environment and situational awareness required to transcend disciplines.

Wayne has also published a blog around his experience with high-performing teams (Espirit de corps). This blog and his reflections on the ‘position of yes’, the ‘dislocation of expectation; and ‘cohesion within homogenous teams’ can be found here https://bio.site/WayneAuton

In the session we examine:

1. Wayne’s journey through the RMC and his role as a sniper.

Host Stephen P. Wood follows up with Luke Huntley, Australian snake catcher, after their discussion during the WEM 2021 conference. Stephen and Luke discuss the training that goes into snake catching as well as the legal requirements to be a certified snake catcher in Australia. Carpet pythons and Eastern Brown snakes are the most common snakes encountered in Luke’s work and Stephen and Luke discuss these animals and Luke’s approach to catching these beautiful creatures. Stephen and Luke explore the relocation of these snakes and some of the scientific data surrounding repatriation. Lastly, Stephen and Luke converse about some of the biggest threats to their survival, which is somewhat of a surprise. The pair finish off with a suggestion of a new side job for Luke, venomous snake wrestling in the UK.

Snake catcher Luke Huntley shares what it’s really like working as a snake catcher in QLD Australia. Snake calls come in at all hours of the day and night, from easy calls when there’s a sleeping python to very dangerous eastern brown snakes that have been riled up by a person or animal. Luke describes how handling technique and experience play such an important role in making the job safer. People’s attitudes towards snakes and how full on this lifestyle can be! Luke has been catching snakes for a large part of his life but has made a career out of it for 6 years now. It's lead to filming opportunities on shows like Bondi vet and of course having an exceptional local reputation and knowledge. All of this and then coming home for a cup of tea with his own collection of Australia’s and indeed the world’s most deadly snakes.

https://www.snakecatchernoosa.com.au/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9899587/Snake-catcher-Noosa-Luke-Huntley-removes-carpet-python-Doonan-backyard.html

https://whatsnew2day.com/snake-catcher-noosa-luke-huntley-removes-carpet-python-from-doonans-backyard/

https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-news-snake-catcher-wrangles-carpet-python-in-noosa-toilet/b6cae767-9296-49d0-a87a-c024a29ba938

In this conversation, we talked with Carl Betts about his reflections on critical analysis in paramedic practice. Carl is a Paramedic and quality improvement lead-based in Sheffield working for the ambulance service. He has been a Paramedic for 10 years and has a 10-year extensive history of expeditions featuring multiple trips to Everest base camp, K2, Mongolia, South Africa, Swaziland, Kangchenjunga, Toubkal, Aconcagua, Pakistan, Oman and many more. 

He has recently written a piece of reflection that is about to be published in the College of Paramedics Hindsight magazine. The piece is titled ‘Where critical analysis becomes critically unhealthy’. In this episode, we examine this article, Carl’s motivations for writing it, and pull out some of the salient learning points. We examine some of the salient learning points around; unpacking the concept of disequilibrium in critical analysis that turns into critical self-appraisal. Also, examining the aspects of challenging debrief that leads to balanced learning and does not omit due affirmation. We also explore examples of where this has gone wrong in the past to put it into clinical context.

Furthermore, we look at:

1. Why critical analysis is an important skill both empirically and anecdotally.

We hope you enjoy this episode with an engaging and insightful guest.

In this episode podcast host Stephen Wood and adventure paramedic Mike Hudson talk about Mike's experience as a paramedic and lead safety specialist for the Discovery channel's Shark Week production team.

Steve and Mike talk about Mike's background as both a paramedic and diver and how he brought this experience to develop a unique opportunity as the lead dive safety and remote medical specialist for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, as well as other production teams. Mike talks about how he prepares for these very challenging programs, including working in very remote and resource-limited areas.

Steve and Mike discuss equipment needs and dealing with local governments and medical systems, which can be very challenging. They discuss practising within the appropriate scope of practice as well as resources that are available to remote teams, like the DAN network. Mike regales several stories of crocodile and shark attacks and lessons learned from these critical events.

Mike Hudson Bio:

Mike Hudson is a Colorado native and nationally registered Paramedic with over 25 years on the streets. Mike is a former Navy Hospital Corpsman, San Diego City EMT-P, Denver City and County Paramedic, and Rocky Mountain flight medic. Mike currently works as a street-level MICP and EMS educator in central New Jersey. In the winter, Mike works for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week production teams as their lead dive safety & remote medical specialist. During the summer, Mike commands two municipal USLA certified ocean and swift water lifeguard programs for separate coastal towns along the Jersey Shore. He also serves as the supervising ocean rescue specialist for a nationally recognized combination fire department/lifeguard aquatic rescue response team; SRT 43-88, serving the entire north shore of Monmouth County and the waterways that lead to NYC.  For more information about Sea Bright Ocean Rescue please go to seabrightoceanrescue.com.

@medicmikehudson

https://seabrightoceanrescue.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVtwlNZnu0

https://www.jems.com/author/mike-hudsonclarionevents-com/

In this episode, Dr Jen Sherman is joined by Anna Wells. Having qualified as a Doctor in the Scottish Highlands. Anna has successfully undergone a career change and now runs her own adventure guiding company in Scotland.

Anna is passionate about the mountains. The freedom of wide-open spaces and the rush of trying hard is where she is happiest. Her favourite activities are rock climbing, summer alpinism, skimo and running, with her happiest moments including completing a winter traverse of the Cullin ridge in one day, climbing El Capitan, summiting 37 4000ers in one summer, and having been fortunate to travel the world as part of the GB Ice Climbing Team.

In this episode Jen and Anna discuss:

• How her interest in climbing and mountains began

To connect with Anna

Website: https://rocksandtrails.com/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @annawells89

Facebook: facebook.com/rocksandtrails