Basic Wound Care and Suture Skills Course

This one day course is designed for the advanced wilderness first aid provider, EMT-B, Paramedic, PA, RN, or MD, that may have to provide out-of- hospital care in austere environments with the possibility of having no other medical care for extended periods of time. The course examines basic wound management and closure methods including suture skills.

Treatment of wounds is a vital skill in the treatment of patients in austere environments. The aim of this class is to allow the health care provider to gain familiarity and comfort with assessment and treatment of basic wounds. After this course the student will be comfortable and confident in initial wound assessment and examination, wound cleaning and debridement, selection of proper closure techniques, antibiotic selections, follow-up care and patient education. In addition, suture skills will be practiced allowing the participants to select the proper suture technique for the wounds they will be commonly be presented with in an austere environment. The suture skills workshop will make use of animal tissue and allow participants to gain exposure to irrigation, wound cleaning, anesthesia techniques and several methods of wound closure.