A seven-year experience in expedition medicine: the Juneau Icefield Research Program

There have been relatively few attempts to document the optimal medical support for wilderness expeditions, and none of these previous reports includes physician-level providers. Here we document our experience with physician-level medical support to an annual wilderness expedition in Alaska. This report utilizes data collected from 1994 to 2000 as part of the medical response to the Juneau Icefield Research Project, an annual research expedition to the Alaskan wilderness involving up to 60 students and professors. Medical supplies and equipment were catalogued, and 7 years of medical logs were reviewed with data presented in descriptive fashion. The majority of diseases encountered included gastrointestinal illness, minor orthopedic injuries, urinary tract infections, illness related to sun exposure, and kidney stones. Several patients required evacuation by helicopter to the nearest medical facility. The logistical challenges of medical treatment in this setting are discussed.