DEHYDRATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS.
By: Bill Gookin, No. 7 in a series of occasional reports on wellness and dehydration
The first report of Gookinaid™ being used in a medical emergency, came from the 1976 Canada-Pacific Mount McKinley Expedition. They had great success with it on their climb, drinking at least a quart a day, and reporting “no muscle soreness even with 100-lb. packs at 20,000 feet.” As they prepared to make camp at 16,000 feet, two of the party went ahead to scout the route. They came upon another party which had developed altitude sickness on the Pioneer Ridge route and lost purchase while trying to descend the Muldrow Icefall — falling, tumbling and sliding some 1600 feet. One of the two survivors suffered a fractured femur and chest and shoulder injuries, but was able to get water and food from his pack to protect himself somewhat from the elements. The other was relatively uninjured, but comatose from exposure and dehydration after being suspended upside down in his ropes for twenty-two hours. The Canada-Pacific team radioed ranger headquarters at Denali Park for a helicopter evacuation of the injured duo, but Denali responded that weather was closing in and they wouldn’t be able to get there for two days. The team looked at each other with sinking hearts; the comatose person needed intravenous fluids right away to survive... he would not make it until the helicopter arrived. Another expedition from Boulder, CO, arrived, assessed the situation, saw that the Canada-Pacific team had Gookinaid and suggested that they try wetting his lips with it since the swallowing reflex was still functioning. After two hours and more and more Gookinaid being swallowed, he was able to carry on a conversation. When this status was reported to Denali, the rangers there asked “Where did you get the IV equipment?” because that was the only way that they knew of for him to possibly recover as he had. The helicopter didn’t get in for three days ... and the climber, thanks to the Gookinaid, was able to walk out! He had frostbite, but both expeditions have no doubt that he owes his life to Gookinaid. Since then, we have had more than 500 reports from search and rescue teams, park rangers (especially in the Grand Canyon), and EMT’s in which people suffering from shock, exposure, dehydration and heat exhaustion, even altitude sickness, have recovered dramatically when Gookinaid’s VITALYTE™ drink was administered and attribute it to saving the lives of over one hundred of them. We get calls and letters almost every week from people who say that Gookinaid “saved my life”, often literally, in the Grand Canyon, on Mount Rainier, Canyonlands and other parks. U. S. Border Patrol agents have used VITALYTE to revive many of the dehydrated immigrants attempting to cross the scorching deserts and freezing mountains of the Southwest. The emergency response teams and rangers call it “an oral I.V.” because it goes in so quickly, works so fast, and can be administered if the person is able to swallow at all.
VITALYTE is formulated for the fastest, most effective absorption possible, replacing just what the body needs. It’s very similar in composition to the Ringer’s lactate solution used in IV’s for emergency rehydration. Changes in the electrolyte and fluid concentrations in the blood from oral rehydration with VITALYTE can be detected within three minutes, almost as quickly as with intravenous fluids. However, search and emergency medical teams have pointed out that they can successfully administer much more volume faster by giving VITALYTE orally than by intravenous perfusion; two liters of VITALYTE can be absorbed directly from the stomach into circulation and the blood pressure up and stable in twenty minutes, while an IV usually takes at least an hour to perfuse just one liter of saline solution.
The rescuees aren’t the only ones who need VITALYTE; the emergency response teams need it to be able to complete their mission. Remember that the first symptom of dehydration (which includes fatigue, exposure and heat stress) is mental: you might be a little slower in making decisions, forgetting or stumbling over terms or names you know, more liable to make errors in judgment, a little less coordinated, even becoming irritable; symptoms that can interfere with the success of your mission. A little more dehydrated and you will be stumbling, on the verge of becoming a victim yourself, unable to continue the mission. SAR instructors describe these stages as “mumbles, grumbles, fumbles, stumbles”. Because you aren’t going to be as alert to these symptoms yourself, you will have to depend upon your teammates to spot them in you, and in turn you need to watch for them in your teammates. A cup or two of VITALYTE will make a noticeable difference in your mental acuity and, in about three minutes, you will be able to recall that elusive name and regain your mental sharpness, able to continue your mission. Give VITALYTE a try and see the difference it makes for you!
* For 40 years athletes have known us as Gookinaid, but we are not just a drink for athletes. Now the world knows us as Vitalyte™, a drink for everyone. Same fast, effective formula...band new name!
** This article is the opinion, advice and testimonial of the author and your results may vary. If you have a medical condition involving dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, you should consult a physician before following this advice.
*** Documentation on file.
