""I told him, 'These are the things I'm concerned about; these are the risks if we run out of medications, or if we run out of oxygen, or if we're not able to get you off the mountain in two or three days.' I would like to think that we, whether it's as physicians or patients, should be able to talk about risk in a little bit more of a realistic, humane way.""
""The veteran eventually made it down to Anchorage and recovered. It was likely high-altitude pulmonary edema, a life-threatening form of altitude sickness. But Harris doesn't know for sure. In his line of work, he has to be OK with not knowing sometimes.""
N. Stuart Harris, a wilderness doctor, faced a critical situation at 14,000 feet on Mount McKinley when a veteran patient exhibited chest pains. With limited resources and no evacuation possible, Harris prioritized honest communication about the risks involved. He emphasized the importance of discussing uncertainties in medical situations, advocating for a more humane approach to risk assessment. The patient ultimately recovered, but the experience highlighted the inherent risks and decision-making challenges in wilderness medicine.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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