Wemcast

Stephen loves mushrooms on his steak, his pizza, marinated and in salad. He gets his mostly at the grocery store, but more and more people are out there foraging for these delicacies. The problem is that both benign and toxic mushrooms often grow close together and frequently look alike. Dr Zane Horowitz is an emergency medical physician and the associate medical director of the Oregon, Alaska and Guam poison center. Together, Stephen and Dr. Horowitz discuss some of the top poisonous mushrooms in the U.S. and abroad, including exposure, symptoms and management of these mushrooms. The pair takes a page from the FBI Most Wanted List and discusses the top three toxic mushrooms including Amanita, Gyrometra and Psilocybin. Horowitz BZ, Moss M, Amatoxin Mushroom Toxicity, StatPearls, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431052/ Horowitz KM, Horowitz BZ, Gyromitra Mushroom Toxicity, StatPearls, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470580/ Horowitz BZ, Hendrickson RG. Mushroom Toxicity.

In this conversation we talk with Dan Richards around the transcontinental Race Across America 3000-mile race, making it longer and more gruelling than the tour de France and one of the toughest bike races in the world. In May 2009 Dan Richards lost his right arm, shoulder and part of his neck in a motorcycle accident whilst in the military. Dan has gone on to navigate the highs and lows of rehabilitating and adapting his life for the better. Dan has found his passion for elite cycling and has ridden in the Invictus games amongst other high-performance events. Dan Richards isn’t just a normal run of the mill kind’ve guy! From a young age he knew, within his heart of hearts that he was joining the British Army! Leaving home for the very first time at 17 years old, that is exactly what he did. Posted to Afghanistan in Sept 2007 before trekking through Northwestern Nepal and The Trans Himalayan Plateau, Dan had aspirations to train as a Farrier with his regiment - The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Dan’s ca

In this conversation we talk with Laura Penhaul around the transcontinental Race Across America 3000-mile race, making it longer and more gruelling than the tour de France and one of the toughest bike races in the world. Laura Penhaul is passionate about helping teams or individuals to perform at their best and she draws on her extensive experience, both personally and professionally, in high performance sport and expedition. Laura was the Team Leader of the Coxless Crew who set 2 World Records in January 2016. They rowed unsupported across the Pacific. 9,000 miles, taking 9 months to complete and 4 years to prepare for. Laura previously was Lead Physiotherapist for the Paralympic Programme of British Athletics and worked at Vancouver, London and Rio Paralympic Games. Currently she is Lead Physiotherapist for the Olympic British Sailing Team. https://www.laurapenhaul.com/

Snake bites and scorpion envenomation is a frequent occurrence worldwide. For people who just enjoy the outdoors and especially for medical providers, it is important to know the species of snakes, scorpions and other venomous creatures that inhabit your area.  In this episode, self-appointed “snake guy” Stephen P. Wood discusses snakes and scorpions with emergency medical doctor and toxicologist Michelle Ruha. Dr Ruha discusses some of the more important snake species in the United States, as well as some of the pathophysiology and toxicology associated with these snakes. She discusses some of the important principles of management, as well as some myths around some treatment modalities. Scorpions are next on the agenda and Stephen proposes a possible movie feature called “Scorpions on the Plane.”  The conversation leads to monsters, specifically the Gila Monster and an unlikely case of Gila monster envenomation, including management and treatment. You can follow Michelle at https://phoenixmed.ari

Lisa van der Sluijs is a college senior and world traveler who shared her experiences as a solo female backpacker at Harvard College during Womens Week. She is joined by host Stephen P. Wood for a frank discussion on backpacking solo. One of the biggest issues pertains to gender equity for solo backpackers. There are many who advocate against this practice citing safety concerns for solo-backpacking women. Lisa counters with the fact that there is nowhere that is truly safe for women, and that this is a global issue. Stephen and Lisa discuss some of the things that can make this practice safer, as Lisa shares some of her own experiences as a solo backpacker. She also shares some of her experiences, including solo backpacking in the Middle East. The conversation leads to a discussion on how more women, LGBQT and non-binary individuals can get started, stay safe and enjoy the outdoors and travel. Lisa is a graduating senior at Harvard College, where she studies Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies. She

Zoe Clift is a physiotherapist, who works for Humanity & Inclusion, a charity that works along side vulnerable and disabled people in areas of poverty, disaster and conflict. Zoe is the UK Medical Team's Rehab Project Manager and spoke to World Extreme Medicine independently about her knowledge and experience about safeguarding in the humanitarian arena. Join Deb Swann as Zoe explores her pathway into her career, and her experience of this topic in our latest podcast. ReSurge Africa https://resurgeafrica.org/ The British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) https://www.bssh.ac.uk/overseas.aspx British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery and Training (BFIRST) https://www.bssh.ac.uk/overseas.aspx Here are the links to the learning sites and podcasts I mentioned: Kaya learning platform https://kayaconnect.org/ Disaster Ready learning platform https://www.disasterready.org/ Global Protection Cluster https://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/ Harvard Humanitarian Initiative https://hhi.harvard

Justin Oliver Davis is a retired soldier, amputee, mountaineer, adventurer and keynote speaker. In 2011, while serving with 2nd Battalion The Rifles, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Justin was leading a Quick Reaction Force patrol to intercept a group of enemy insurgents that had ambushed another British call-sign. Justin was providing safe passage by searching for Improvised Explosive Devices, when unfortunately he stood on and detonated one resulting in the loss of both of his lower legs. Justin joins Deb Swann to discuss that life changing day, his recover and his current mission, to climb the world's highest peaks. You can learn more about Justin here https://www.justinoliverdavis.com/about Instagram: justin_oliver_davis 

Join us as World Extreme Medicine Founder and CEO Mark Hannaford and Luca Alfatti, Logistical Lead for the convoys discuss the progress of the work they have carried out so far. Following their live session last week their conversation with Shawna Pandya is now available to listen on demand. The team have transported medical supplies to the area in Ukraine where they are needed, here we discuss the team, what they have learnt, the potential dangers and how they manage this in country. Any donations can be made here https://www.gofundme.com/f/medics4ukraine 

In this conversation I’m talking with Carl Betts about his reflections on patience within quality improvement and change within ambulance trusts. Carl is a Paramedic and quality improvement fellow based in Sheffield working for the ambulance service. He has been a Paramedic for 9 years and has a 10-year extensive history of expeditions across multiple continents. He is not a stranger to the podcast and we had Carl on recently talking about re-framing critical analysis within practice. He has recently written a piece of reflection titled ‘Patience’ The untaught piece of the Quality Improvement toolbox. In this episode we examine this article, Carl’s motivations for writing it, and pull out some of the salient learning points. In this conversation we are going to examine: · The different cadence of change around intervention and effect from clinical practice to quality improvement. · The concept of curiosity and questioning the underlying systems that we operate to see if they can be operate better. · Examine t

Scott has been working in the field of connectivity, telemedicine, and cold chain supply in off-grid regions of Africa and Haiti since 2011.  In that year, he initiated telemedicine live consults from the Maasai Mara region of Kenya and in 2011 was a presenter on telemedicine and satellite communications to the First International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface in Addis Ababa (he also spoke at their 2017 Congress in Qatar on solar powered cold chain supply for vaccines, bio-samples, and food security).  Scott conducted the first, real-time ultra sound from the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Gabon to an OBGYN at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston in 2012.  In 2014, Scott was a telemedicine presenter for the First Pan-African Doctors and Healthcare Workers Conference in Addis Ababa. Scott also connected the attendees for the 2013 WEM Conference in Boston to the orphanage in Haiti for a song presentation to everyone, if you remember, and also spoke on telemedicine in remo

Welcome to the World Extreme Medicine podcast….. In this conversation we are talking with Steve Wood the vice president of Delivery for Personal Strengths (UK) and is a facilitator, trainer and senior manager within the core strength group. He has extensive experience of developing and facilitating training focusing on leadership, team dynamics, conflict management and personal development. Steve has worked in partnership with a number of the UK's largest organisations in developing and delivering programmes that provide a lasting difference to both individuals and the business. We will start with the history and background of the SDI which originated from Prominent psychologist Elias Porter a peer of Carl Rogers. Elias was the author of ‘Introduction to Therapeutic Counselling and Manpower Development’ and developed the ‘Relationship Awareness Theory’ which is one of the pivotal theories used by the SDI. We will examine some of his key influencers those of Sigmund Freud, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Erik Erick

In this episode we speak with Karen O’Neill; Advanced Clinical Practitioner and humanitarian around the unfolding Ukraine crisis. Karen has a wealth of experience of delivering aid programmes in various contexts including Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Malawi, Mumbai, and Uganda. In the episode we discuss the importance of collaboration within deployment of aid in Ukraine, the cluster approach designated and coordinated by the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). We also talk about the reality of getting aid to the point of need and the dynamic security issues with attacks to frontline healthcare workers. We also discuss the utility of volunteering with a registered and credentialed organisation such as UKmed, the importance of governance, flexibility within teams and the mental health of healthcare workers whilst working in and subject to conflict zones. Karen speaks about some of the difficulties from the perspective of Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) and the incorrect assumption that

Richard Garner is a career safety and security professional with global expertise in risk mitigation and threat management. He retired from US Naval Special Operations and continued work in both high threat and personal protection operations domestically and abroad. Mr. Garner has managed and conducted security operations in support of non profit organisations, the US State Department and other government agencies. Having visited or worked in excess of 100 nations he brings a unique perspective to global travel and risk mitigation. In this episode, our host Stephen P Wood is joined by Rich Garner, a career safety and security professional with global expertise in risk mitigation and threat management. He is retired from the US Naval Special Operations forces and continues to work in both high threat and personal protection operations domestically and abroad. Mr. Garner has managed and conducted security operations in support of nonprofit organisations, The US State Department and other government agencies. Ha

in this episode, host Stephen P Wood and Dr. Pav Singh discuss ocular emergencies in expedition medicine. although a lot of attention is paid to high altitude cerebral edema, pulmonary edema and mountain sickness, eye injuries are quite common in expedition medicine as well. This can include anything from corneal abrasions, globe injuries, foreign bodies or infections. Stephen and Dr. Singh discuss some of the more common injuries, how do I identify them, how to treat them and when it's important to refer patients to an ophthalmologist. The pair focus on UV keratitis and its incidence in expedition medicine, including some case reports of high profile expeditions. The show concludes with preparing your kit to manage some of the more common eye injuries that can occur on expeditions.

Beth is a professional trail runner and NHS paediatric registrar based in Derbyshire, UK. Some career highlights include setting the Bob Graham round record, two x top-5 finishes at the UTMB and several GB vests at ultra-distances. In 2021 she took some time out from medicine and headed to the US to prepare for the Western States 100 race. She won the race in the second fastest women's time in history, despite temperatures over 40°C. She enjoys running with her Kelpie trail dogs and a bit of cycling (gravel and MTB) on the side. Beth talks through how she manages her ultra running career alongside her NHS career, how she trains while injured, and how she fuels her body to complete ultra events. You can find out more about Beth here https://www.bethpascall.com/ 

Lucy is a 29 year old explorer and speaker from Suffolk and is not stranger to extreme environments having previously summited Denali, crossed the High Sierra in California and been dramatically airlifted from the mountains in Tajikistan.  In this episode WEM Medical Director Dr Will Duffin speaks to Lucy about her most recent adventure in the Amazon: a world first trek - through 250 miles of virgin rainforest in Guyana’s Kanuku Mountains. They discuss what motivates Lucy, how she crafted a unique and special team, how to thrive in the jungle including camp craft and navigation skills. Lucy reflects on Dramatic run ins with savage river rapids, bushmaster snakes, packs of wild pigs and coordinating a jungle medivac, as well as how adjusting to life back home afterwards. Lucy will be speaking at this years world extreme medicine conference about how you can push the boundaries in your own life and career. You can join us in person or digitally 19th to 21st November in Edinburgh by clicking here. As genuin

World Extreme Medicine Medical Director, Dr Will Duffin catches up with Charlie and Adam, two ED Doctors who have just completed a 3,000 mile rowing race across the Atlantic. The Emergensea Duo, Dr Charlotte Fleury & Dr Adam Baker, are a husband and wife pair of Emergency Medicine specialty doctors in Devon. You may have seen them recently become the first married couple in the world to complete the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a 3000 mile unassisted row across the Atlantic Ocean (having never rowed before). They both have a masters in Extreme Medicine and work as pre-hospital emergency medicine fellows with the Devon Air Ambulance and as honorary senior clinical research fellows with the University of Exeter. When they aren’t working they are itching for adventure and either on or in the water. They talk about: What life has been like as frontline ed Docs in the lead up to doing this challenge How shift work as ED docs prepared them for the 2 hours on 2 Hours off routine during the row Why th

In this episode, Stephen Wood sits down with Julie Rak to discuss gender equity in mountaineering. Junko Tabei isn’t as much a household name as Edmund Hillary or Jon Krakauer, but she is one of the world’s most accomplished climbers. She was the first woman to summit Mt. Everest and has also the first woman to climb the seven summits. She is listed as a “housewife” in several sources, which couldn’t be further from the truth as she was an avid climber, environmentalist, author and teacher. This is a good example though, of how woman have been diminished in the field. Woman involved in mountaineering have been disparaged and ridiculed. Equipment isn’t always designed with women in mind and even terms like “Brotherhood of the Rope” suggests that climbing is for men. Julie is a professor by trade, climber for fun and discusses eloquently the merits of woman climbers. She reminds us of the importance of considering gender in a positive way, to celebrate accomplishments and to recognise achievement. Stephen and J

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, Cal

In this episode Will Duffin (WEM medical director) and Eoin Walker (WEM pre-hospital lead) 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