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玉山群峰線

Emergency notification

First aid procedure in a mountain accident

  1. Confirm the patient's location
  2. Ask nearby hikers or teammates to provide assistance
  3. Patient first aid
  4. Level 1 and 2 patients receive telemedicine services.
  5. The police department, fire department, and the national park headquarters are notified to launch a search and rescue mission. 
  6. The patient is sent to a safe location, medical aid station, or hospital for emergency treatment. 
     

Triage system

Level 1 situation

  1. Immediate life-threatening or limb loss danger (need emergency medical treatment, an air ambulance is recommended)
  2. Immediate life-threatening danger (loss of consciousness, breathing difficulty, shock, constant chest pain)
  3. Immediate limb loss danger (spinal injury)
  4. The safety of ground transport personnel may be jeopardized
  5. Venomous snakebite (if the hospital is more than 2 hours away, consider activating)

Level 2 situation

  1. No immediate life-threatening danger, but delayed treatment may result in life-threatening or loss of limb danger (do not continue climbing, descend the mountain and seek medical attention)
  2. Severe headache, abdominal pain, back pain, lower back pain, vomiting
  3. Fracture or limb injury resulting in the inability to move
  4. Large open wound
     

Level 3 situation

  1. May continue climbing, but patients diagnosed with acute mountain sickness (AMS) should not continue ascending the mountain. 
  2. Minor headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, back pain, and lower back pain that does not affect mobility.
  3. Cold symptoms (please fill in the AMS score)
  4. Minor abrasion, contusion, and muscle pain

Level 4 situation

  1. Irrecoverable 
  2. Deceased

Transport methods for various levels

Level 1 situation

  • Ground transport may reach the hospital in 2 hours: Various responsible divisions request using ground transport as a priority (including ambulance or emergency vehicle)
  • Ground transport is unable to reach the hospital in 2 hours
  1. If the weather allows for helicopter operation: Various responsible divisions request an air ambulance by providing weather information (landing or hoisting)
  2. If the weather prohibits helicopter operation: Various responsible divisions request police and fire department personnel to assist in patient transportation

Level 2 situation

  • A. Ground transport may reach the hospital in 3 hours: Various responsible divisions request using ground transport as a priority (including ambulance or emergency vehicle)
  • B. Ground transport is unable to reach the hospital in 3 hours
  1. If the weather allows for helicopter operation: Various responsible divisions request an air ambulance by providing weather information (landing or hoisting)
  2. If the weather prohibits helicopter operation: Various responsible divisions request police and fire department personnel to assist in patient transportation
  3. If a patient is vomiting in the mountains, he/she should be treated for high mountain sickness and prohibited from climbing. (If the accident occurs at Paiyun Lodge, it is advised not to climb to the main peak)

Level 3 situation

  1. Generally, the patient will be permitted to continue climbing; although he/she is not required to descend the mountain, careful assessment is needed. 
  2. During the climbing process, symptoms including headache, dizziness, weakness, cough, and phlegm should be assessed according to the mountain sickness score.

Level 4 situation

In principle, the patient will descend the mountain via ground transport, or the Executive Yuan's National Rescue Command Center will determine whether to provide transport assistance.