Instructor: Marc-Antoine Doré, M.Sc., CAT(C), PCP
Time: 14:00-15:30
Type: In-Person Only

Description:

Joint dislocations are a common high-impact injuries encountered during expeditions and outdoor travel, particularly involving the shoulder, patella, and fingers. In remote settings, the decision to attempt a reduction or to prioritize immobilization and evacuation must balance patient safety, pain control, clinician competence, environmental constraints, and the realities of delayed transport.

This workshop provides an evidence-based update on prehospital joint reduction in austere and wilderness environments. Participants will review the current scientific literature and clinical considerations guiding field management of dislocations, including patient selection, risk stratification, neurovascular assessment, and documentation of preand post-reduction status. Practical discussion will focus on the most appropriate reduction techniques for common wilderness presentations, emphasizing methods that are safe, reproducible, and feasible when resources are limited. A key component of the session will address “red flags” that should shift management away from reduction attempts and toward urgent evacuation.

Finally, participants will be introduced to expedition-oriented taping and support strategies adapted from sports medicine practice. Using minimal equipment, attendees will learn practical approaches to protect the injured joint, reduce re-dislocation risk, and improve functional tolerance for movement when continuation of the expedition is appropriate. The workshop emphasizes realistic decision-making, and techniques that can immediately translate to the field.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to…

1. Perform a focused assessment of a suspected joint dislocation in a wilderness setting, including neurovascular examination and identification of associated injuries.
2. Differentiate indications and contraindications for prehospital joint reduction and recognize red flags requiring immobilization and evacuation.
3. Select and apply safe, evidence-informed reduction techniques for common dislocations encountered in remote environments (e.g., shoulder, patella, finger).
4. Implement practical post-reduction management strategies, including reassessment, documentation, and monitoring for complications.
5. Demonstrate basic expedition-adapted taping and support techniques to protect the injured joint and support safe continuation of travel when appropriate

Price: Registration opening soon