Wilderness Medicine Case Study 44

You are on a private, mid-summer river trip when one of your friends, Adam, is stung by a wasp on the back of his throat as he was drinking a can of Coke. Adam immediately coughed and spewed soda and the wasp onto the sand. Apparently the wasp had entered the open can while it was sitting next to his camp chair when he went to get a second sandwich during lunch. Roughly fifteen minutes later Adam is hoarse and tells you in a mild panic that his throat is swelling and it is becoming difficult for him to breathe. There are two expired EpiPens in the first aid kit and no oral antihistamines. One of the EpiPens is ten years old and the epinephrine is cloudy with a reddish hue. One of the group members has asthma and carries an albuterol multi-dose inhaler (MDI) that is also out of date by a few years.

What is wrong with Adam and what should you do? Click here to find out.

Don't know where to begin or what to do? Take one of our wilderness medicine courses. Guides and expedition leaders should consider taking our Wilderness First Responder course.

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