Henrik Hedelin MD, PhD, Msc, FAWM, DiMM
Doctor, biologist and instructor in wilderness medicine.
I have had the pleasure of working with wilderness medicine and teaching for more than fifteen years while simultaneously maintaining my day to day work as a orthopedic surgeon. Over the years I have had the opportunity to experience a wide variety of climates and environments and I have a network of friends and colleagues across the globe.
Our services
Our courses are adapted to the background of the course participants and can be held in several locations in Scandinavia by agreement. Among doctors, the course is usually appreciated by both senior physicians and interns alike. For laypeople, courses have been adapted for everything from climbers to arborists and expedition members.
Courses
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Consultation
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Lectures
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Wilderness medicine
Away from the safe structures of modern society, different methods and ways of thinking are required to deal with illness and injury. During expeditions, adventure sports or ordinary outdoor life, we are often far from qualified high-tech healthcare.
Mountain medicine
Evacuation in hard-to-reach environments
For alpinists and climbers, an injury often means a long and difficult evacuation. Knowledge of rope handling and cooperation with alpine rescue services is of importance.
Expedition
Medical officer on expeditions
The challenges for doctors on expeditions are many. How should you plan and what should you bring with you? What evacuation strategies are available? You should expect to face everything from ear infections to broken bones as well as psychiatric disorders or a stroke.
Dangerous fauna
Animal bites and stings
Globally sharks and snakes are a cause of fear but eventhough the latter is a legitimate cause of concern the greatest threat comes from insects. Prevention of mosquito transmitted diseases like Malaria and Dengue fever should be of high priority to any travels in the relevant parts of the world. Apart from snake bites scorpion stings and spider bites also contribute to substantial morbidity world wide. Knowledge about relevant fauna is the first step to both prevent and treat these bites and stings.
Hypothermia
The body's reaction to cold
In large parts of the world hypothermia is one of the biggest and most important challenges in caring for an injured person outdoors. Both prevention and treatment require training and specific skillsets.
High altitude medicine
The body's reaction to thin air
Pulmonary edema (HAPE) and cerebral edema (HACE) can occur already at an altitude of 3000m. Recognizing the symtoms and knowing how to treat these conditions can truly be life saving. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is very common in the alpine environment.
The unusual
Outside the comfort zone
In wilderness medicine, you are forced to work with injuries and diagnoses you are not used to. Being able to manage and prioritize these conditions on your own until evacuation can save an expedition or a life. Lightning strikes are not as uncommon as you might think and rabies is prevalent in parts of the world.
Organisations &
partners
