Jurnal Internasional vol.12 issue 2 2022
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Training and certification in first responder care among mountaineering practitioners in east Africa

Jurnal Internasional vol.12 issue 2 2022
African Journal of Emergency Medicine
Training and certification in first responder care among mountaineering practitioners in east Africa

First responder care training
Recertification
Refresher training
Mountaineering practitioners

Introduction: Mountaineering activities have potential risks for injuries and illnesses. Extreme weather conditions,

high altitude, limited resources and accessibility to transport and definitive medicalservices callsfor mountaineer-
ing practitioners to be well prepared through training and certification in first responder care. This is useful in

cases when they have an injured climber and need to offer support in the tier-one emergency system care before
accessing further care in a medical facility. The study sought to establish the first responder care training status of
mountaineering practitioners and the associations of mountaineering practitioners’ first responder care training
levels and gender, age, years of work experience, and designation.
Methods: The study used cross-sectional analytical research design with a purposive sample of one hundred and
thirty six (136) mountaineering practitioners in East Africa. Snowball sampling procedure was used to identify the
respondents since there were no records indicating the population size or specific location of these mountaineering
practitioners. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data on whether they were trained or not;
status of their up-to-date certification; institutions where they did their training and recertification; and their
training levels in first responder care, which would cover the aim of the study.
Results: Majority of mountaineering practitioners (91.2%) had received some form of training. However, 47.1%

had received training in basic first aid, which did not involve mountain related components. Outdoor practition-
ers’ up-to-date training was dependent on their age (p = 0.005), and years of work experience (p= 0.014).

Discussion: There is need for mountaineering practitioners to have standardized minimum training in wilderness
specific first responder care. The study recommends that the training and recertification should be undertaken
on a regular basis by the mountaineering practitioners in East Africa.

Nkatha Muthomi , Lucy-Joy Wachir, Willy Shikuku Ooko

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2022.02.006

23 February 2022

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