In this episode of the World Extreme Medicine Podcast, host Eoin Walker is joined by Luca Carenzo, intensive care consultant, and Federico Emiliano Ghio, critical care nurse and medical lead for high-altitude emergency services in Livigno, Italy, one of the busiest ski resorts in the Alps.
From sub-zero slopes and altitude-induced illness to managing cardiac arrests at 2800m with no hospital in sight, Federico and Luca explore the real-time challenges of delivering care in extreme alpine environments.
Featuring:
Advanced pain relief protocols in –20°C conditions
How fluids freeze, defibs fail, and ventilators adapt
Why governance matters when you don’t have paramedics
Planning for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
The future of ski patrol: drones, slope-side diagnostics, and real-time triage
This is high-acuity medicine, on ice.
📍 This session was recorded remotely in December 2024.