{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T16:11:29Z","timestamp":1787242289379,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,5]],"date-time":"2022-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1664928000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The utilization of rescue blankets in pre-hospital emergency medicine exceeds protection from hypothermia and enhanced visibility by far. In this narrative review, we focus on emphasizing the alternative applications of these fascinating multifunctional tools in the pre-hospital setting. A literature search in PubMed\u00ae and Web of ScienceTM yielded 100 results (last update was on 8 July 2022), a total number of 26 of which were included in this narrative review. Nine articles assessing alternative functions of rescue blanket were further evaluated and described in more detail. In addition, we performed various experimental and observational trials to test the functionality of rescue practice in mountain emergency medicine. Newly fabricated rescue blankets proved to possess impressive robustness. We evaluated rescue blankets in their applicability to not only protect from hypothermia, but also as practical tools to treat catastrophic hemorrhage and bleeding limbs, to perform open pneumothorax chest seals in sucking chest wounds, to prevent damage to unprotected eyes on the glacier and as alternative instruments for transportation in the inaccessible areas. Rescue blankets are important rescue equipment in alpine and wilderness emergencies with multifunctional applications, and must be part of every personal medical kit.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191912721","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,8]],"date-time":"2022-10-08T22:19:27Z","timestamp":1665267567000},"page":"12721","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Rescue Blankets as Multifunctional Rescue Equipment in Alpine and Wilderness Emergencies\u2014A Narrative Review and Clinical Implications"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3746-9537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bernd","family":"Wallner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hannah","family":"Salchner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Markus","family":"Isser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Austrian Mountain Rescue Service\u2014Tyrol, Medical Division, Florianistr. 2, 6410 Telfs, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5865-2787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Schachner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1421-7262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Franz J.","family":"Wiedermann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wolfgang","family":"Lederer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wem.2021.11.006","article-title":"Prehospital Use of Ultrathin Reflective Foils","volume":"33","author":"Kosinski","year":"2022","journal-title":"Wilderness Environ. 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