Category: First Aid/Medical

Four Letters Re: The Human Appendix

Mr. Rawles: I am writing to address some of the questions in the letter on The Human Appendix. I am a physician who works at a large academic center. Regarding The letter writer’s questions, an inflamed appendix is not uncommon (This is know as appendicitis), and removal of the appendix is one of the simplest surgery’s we perform in modern medicine. It is unclear why the inflammation occurs, but if untreated it can be fatal. The appendix was historically thought to be a vestigial organ (useless), or an immune presenting organ ( i.e.: helps the immune system fight off infections). …


Letter Re: The Human Appendix

Sir: I have a medical question that I thought that maybe you could forward to Dr. Cynthia Koelker, your Medical Editor, on perhaps she could write an article.   My appendix was enflamed recently and they performed emergency surgery to remove it before it burst. My doctor said that his granddad, also a doctor, performed preventative surgery to remove his daughter’s (my doctor’s mom’s) appendix. He said that there is really no purpose for the appendix except to get infected and inflamed and burst. I agree that he is probably correct in this day and age, but when I asked …


Letter Re: Sodium Chloride IV Bag Expiry Dates

JWR, In my military life I can relate the reason for the expiration date on the bag is due to the bag not the fluid.  Plastic is not impermeable.  The rationale is after the date of expiration enough time has passed to question the integrity of the fluid.  The purity of the fluid can be compromised.  If you started a line and pushed the fluid you have a increased risk of infection.  The fluid is perfectly good for oral use.  It doesn’t taste very good but in a pinch it works. – Ken L.


Letter Re: Sodium Chloride IV Bag Expiry Dates

JWR: I know you are not a medical doctor, but I had a question about Sodium Chloride .9% IV bags.  They have an Expiration date on them.  Is this information valid.  It is sterile water and salt so could something like that go bad?  Is it because the plastic might leech something out over time?   We just had a lovely “stick” class with my group where we each learned how to put in an IV on each other.  We determined who was good at it, and who should never, ever approach people with a needle.     Each person was out …


Letter Re: Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse

James: While the article Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse, by P.C., RN, shares some common methods of treatment for general conceptual care of some common childhood diseases of infectious patients, it does not consider that in the treatment of diseases without available treatment of antibiotics, of diseases that are airborne and highly contagious, like Tuberculosis, SARS, Pertussis, or the Blood borne pathogens like Ebola, Active Hepatitis B, C or D, HIV PCP (Pneumocystis Pneumonia) or Ebola. In these cases you do not want an open window to be allowing any escaping infectious droplets. Use of an airflow HEPA filtration system …


Letter Re: So-Called Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Africa

Sir: Regarding your recent link to the US News article: “Doctors Struggling to Fight ‘Totally Drug-Resistant’ Tuberculosis in South Africa”, I would like to comment.   As an infectious diseases research scientist with a specialty in tuberculosis (TB) the term “Totally Drug Resistant” peaked my interest, considering the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recognize this term.  To express the resistance to anti-TB drugs, we use very precise terms, where multidrug resistance (MDR-) represents resistance to two specific drugs, isoniazid and rifampin, and extensively-drug resistance (XDR-) is resistance to any of the second line drugs and one of the injectable …


Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse, by P.C., RN

Nursing today is a complicated, technological process involving multiple disciplines, technology and advanced fourth generation antibiotics, none of which will be available in a TEOTWAWKI situation.  It stands to reason that we have to prepare ourselves mentally for the fact that none of the equipment or drugs that are such an integral part of medicine and nursing today, will be available for our use.  There will be no antibiotics for chest infections, no IV fluids for dehydration, no advanced medical treatments for wound infections; It will be a return to nursing at the level of the 19th century.  Now that …


Re-Evaluating Priorities: Food vs. Sleep, by Jared S.

I was reviewing some back issues of the Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, published by the Wilderness Medical Society, and came across an article that I realized may be of use to preppers.  The article deals with the effects of food deprivation vs. the effect of sleep deprivation, on cognitive ability, decision making, and risk taking behaviors.  Here I will attempt to summarize the relevant findings and examine how these realities might inform our choices in prepping and responding to emergency survival situations.  We have all been taught the easy to remember device for setting priorities for survival, right? …


Addictions That Could Be Your Undoing, by Z.T.

I have tried to think about things that you may not have thought of, in regards to The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI.) And maybe not just fresh ideas for readers, but even for those that write about these things. And, it’s possible that you may even think that I am going waaaay out there to bring you fresh ideas. But I’m not. I bet you haven’t thought of how silly and secret addictions can really hurt you. Have you? While the effects of hard drugs, even seemingly minor alcoholism, have their own withdrawal symptoms that …


Why Your Doctor Won’t Help You Prepare–And What You Can Do About It, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

This past week I had a pharmacy call me about a multi-year prescription I had written for a fellow prepper.  The pharmacy would not fill the prescription, and didn’t even know if was legal.  At first they told the patient I would have to write a note regarding the purpose of so much medication, and that the drug might not even be good beyond a year.  On further consideration, they informed him that he would have to get a new prescription written for a smaller amount.  It seemed they did not even want to keep the written prescription in their …


Winter Survival Tips, by Mat Stein

Note: This article is adapted from my book When Disaster Strikes: A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning and Crisis Survival Tips for Surviving Outside in Extreme Weather and Subfreezing Temperatures Every year people get lost in the backcountry near where I live in the High Sierras, and end up spending one or more unplanned nights outside in the snow and extreme cold. Some of those folks live to tell the tale, and some of them don’t. Hopefully you will never need to spend unexpectedly long hours outside in extreme weather, but in case you do, here are a few tips: …


Three Letters Re: Dealing With Biting and Stinging Insects

Jim: I’d like to recommend the best chigger bite treatment: Put some rubbing alcohol on tissue paper and lightly rub this on the chigger bite as soon as possible. Hold in place for at least half a minute to kill germs. Then immediately rub a piece of ice on the bite for a few minutes to reduce swelling. This will eliminate pain and swelling by 99%.  After getting hundreds of chigger bites over the years, this is the best method I’ve found. – Paul O. James, One thing to add about chiggers, or red bugs. I got these on my …


Dealing With Biting and Stinging Insects by K.F.

Being “bugged” by insects is a problem we will likely face in TEOTWAWKI. Americans will spend more time outdoors in an effort to gather food and fuel as well as hunt and guard their retreat and resources. Exposure to insects will increase exponentially. Our defenses against pests will diminish significantly as our homes and retreats have their windows and doors left open more often. Also, the commonly available pesticides will probably not be available as supplies (of all kinds) decrease when TSHTF. We all know that insects have the potential to spread disease as well as lower our quality of …


Creating a Secure Post-SHTF Community, by Old Bobbert

This is the time for all of us to learn something abut “Building a community”. We have done our best to be prepared to survive and to continue to enjoy an acceptable good life, and provide for the present and for the future. Time surely appears to be getting very short. Now is the very best time we will ever have to ready ourselves to rebuild our community and provide the services and protection that we will need. We sincerely believe that our post-SHTF life must be more than simple survivalism, more that just having enough basic food to survive …


What to Do if You’re Stung by a Striped Bark Scorpion, by Richard R.

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Disclaimer: I have to say that I am not a physician and nothing I tell you is a substitute for good medical care. I am an RN with many years of experience in Emergency Room care, but that does not qualify me to advise you in medicine when there are Emergency Rooms all over the USA with qualified physicians on duty to take care of your health problem. The things I’m going to tell you only apply in a TEOTWAWKI situation. Use any information I am going to give you at your own risk. That being said, what do you do …