International congress: New Advances in Mountain Medicine and Emergency – second edition

The 2 day congress on mountain medicine and emergency is dedicated to a topic that is still not well known but is a subject matter that will have greater development and will acquire increasing importance as more and more people frequent the alpine environment, many of whom are unaware of its inherent dangers. The two intense days will be spent examining in depth all aspects of this medical specialisation in an attempt to draw up easily understandable up-to-date guidelines regarding clinical and pharmacological aspects as well as the fitness required by those who practise mountaineering.

Day one will be given over to the congress of the Italian Society of Mountain Medicine who will present an autonomous programme centred on the heart and the brain at high altitude and simultaneously the congress of the Medical Commission of the Italian Alpine Club in the morning will discuss topics relating to the expedition doctor and to ocular pathologies at high altitude. In the afternoon, for the first time, there will be an exchange of views among the Alpine and Speleological Rescue Unit of the CAI, CNSAS and REGA (the Swiss air rescue service), regarding the past, present and future of their work and they will examine similarities and differences with the aim of increasing the synergy in cross border mountain rescue operations.

The 19th of April will be dedicated to the second international congress “ New Advances in Mountain Medicine and Emergency” with speakers coming from Europe, the U.S.A., China and Nepal who are internationally recognised experts in the field of medicine and emergency in the mountains. Doctors and rescue workers will present results from the most recent studies in the clinical and therapeutical field relating to accidental hypothermia, disease and adaptation at high altitude, and the diagnosis and treatment of mountain accidents. The congress is aimed at doctors and paramedics from all over Europe and the United States who operate in this specific field... but not only. An innovation for this type of event is that the congress is also open to enthusiasts and professionals who work in the mountains, thereby joining the medical and non medical world - the latter are often ignored - in a combined effort aimed at improving the safety of those who spend time in a mountain environment be it for work or pleasure.

The objective is to make the world of mountain medicine increasingly more open, visible and attractive in a period of great climate change that has lead a new and enthusiastic but naive public to discover the alpine environment. Similarly it has encouraged a commercially intelligent re-evaluation of the infrastructure, the mountain huts being a good example of this. With this in mind, the idea of a Round Table discussion among the speakers together with some of the best known mountain climbers of the moment has been conceived to end the congress. It will be open to the public and will be given media coverage via web or through television.
In a difficult economic situation such as that in Italy, an innovative event of this high level obviously needs the help and resources of enlightened commercial enterprises bearing in mind that the only objectives of the congress are to promote good habits and raise awareness regarding health and safety among mountain goers and at the same time to make known to a greater public a world until now confined to few and obscure congresses.

It is a well known fact that investing in cultural activities seldom brings results in the short term but in the mid to long term, contribute to creating a correct and respectful attitude and this is the only way to truly appreciate our mountains. The economic crisis has touched medical and rescue services as well; the only solution is to promote prevention and knowledge but to do this we need the help of institutions and commercial enterprises that have to do with the mountains. Without their help all our efforts, dreams and projects which are also aimed at improving the image of Italy abroad and creating new job opportunities are destined to fail.

Dott. Luigi Festi
luigifestimail@virgilio.it

INFO AND REGISTRATION:
http://artcomsrl.com/2012/mountainmedicine2013