Category: First Aid/Medical

Jim: You recently mentioned Ciprofloxacin in your blog. Cipro is an antibacterial, a fluoroquinolone. It’s useful for urinary tract infections, bacterial (not viral) sinusitis, post-inhalation exposure to anthrax, traveler’s diarrhea, and in combination with other drugs for abdominal infections. Resistance to various sexually transmitted diseases and some bacteria that cause pneumonia (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) is increasing. Ringer’s isn’t usually given with dextrose. It can be, but not normally. Ringers is an electrolyte (salt) solution, dextrose is used to replace (just) water or water and add some carbohydrates. Electrolyte solutions are used in cases of electrolyte depletion or dehydration (often combined with …

James, I love your blog, I read it daily. Good article on the field craft of tourniquet applications. I do have one question to add–where can I get medical supplies for treating trauma? I love the fact that we have the blood clotting bandages available to the civilian–long live the free market. In the Army, I was a Combat Life Saver and I may be out of practice, but when truly required of me I am certain that I can start an IV to keep someone from going into shock. I have tried to find lactated ringers on the Internet, …

As an instructor of multiple combat medical courses, I have had the privilege of instructing many courageous and dedicated young corpsmen and medics in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) and Combat Lifesaver (CLS), as well as other courses.  Out of all of the information I have taught, I am amazed at the feedback I receive from many of these students returning from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of the world. Tourniquet use is documented as far back as Roman times; examples have been found composed of bronze and leather.  The first practical …

Jim, I would like to let your readers know that there is an opportunity for them to get free medical training in there community, I have just done this and am working on going further. I joined a volunteer fire department (VFD). No, not everyone has to fight fires, in our department only 10% do. In my area we have a mandatory three hours per month that we have to be at the station and [respond to] any calls that come up. So out of this we all get free EMT training and they actually pay us to go do …

James: First, thanks for the blog useful information is so hard to come by nowadays. With regards to alcohol I would add a few bits First, Everclear 190 is a great addition it any backpack or bail out bag, This wonder bottle has a subject all its own. If for barter purpose you choose booze there is a bit of an OPSEC point to make. Trading liquor has risks especially if you are dealing with someone who may be looking for a lucrative target. Trading a sealed bottle of bourbon or even worse taking said bottle from a visible case …

In 1940, Reserve Constable Albert Alexander scratched his face.  Accounts differ on whether this occurred while shaving, or an encounter with a rose bush.  In either case, the Constable had a minor scratch  which became infected. What makes Constable Alexander’s story notable, is that his was the first wound infection treated with the then-new antibiotic, penicillin. It almost worked.  When first treated, Constable Alexander improved dramatically, but the hand-purified supply of antibiotic available ran out before the infection was eliminated. The infection returned, and he died from the combined staph and strep infection of the wound.  Welcome to the reality …

Dear Sir, I was perusing your blog for the first time and saw the post about dehydration due to diarrhea. I have five sisters and one brother (yeah mom!) so my mother is quite the home medic. My eldest sister had been prescribed a very strong antibiotic for a common infection she had. After she took the course of the antibiotic, she also began having severe chronic diarrhea (we’re talking months here). She began going to a specialist after her regular doctor couldn’t diagnose her. My mother, conscious of her medical history, realized the antibiotic she had taken for her …

Jim, During my many travels in Asia and Central America I never brought along medications to stop diarrhea, only to prevent it. Diarrhea is natures way of getting rid of something your body doesn’t want in it. Preventing that can lead to serious problems. Water and food born bugs (bacteria, not parasites) can be dealt with by taking Doxycycline Hyclate as a prophylactic. Prior to the likely encountering of suspect food and water, such as a bug out situation, a pill a day will keep you reasonably safe. You should be able to talk your doctor into proscribing for emergency …

Sir: My recent trip to the library and skimming through a few books on diseases led me to the conclusion that some of the secondary or follow-on effects are often bigger killers that the diseases themselves. I’m talking about pneumonia and diarrhea. Respiratory bugs often develop co-infections like pneumonia. And stomach bugs often cause diarrhea, which can cause such severe dehydration, that the patient dies. Obviously, [some forms of] pneumonia can be avoided by getting a pneumovax innoculation. So how do we deal with diarrhea? It can be controlled with over the counter (OTC) medicines. According to FamiliyDoctor.org, some of …

Hello James, Regarding wound irrigation, wound preps, surgical site prep, etc., folks would do well to purchase a gallon each of Betadine, Povidone, or other generic tamed iodine, in both the scrub and solution formulations. These are not terribly expensive and one likely could talk his/her Veterinarian into getting some for them, as they are not controlled substances. [JWR Adds: They are also available in the vet supply department at some of the larger feed stores, and via mail order and Internet vet supply companies like Jeffers.] These are concentrates and can be diluted, and used on wounds if the …

TEOTWAWKI will result in a lot of wounds, including not just lacerations but scrapes and burns as well.  These will happen regardless of if the injury is the result of a disaster or if post-crash efforts lead to injury.  This is bad enough, but you could be in even more trouble if infection sets into one of these wounds.  A lot of preparedness/survival-types focus on suturing, including having access to suture material and instruments to allow for laceration repair. While this is all well and good, you shouldn’t focus too much on actual wound repair without first being sure that …

JWR, Regarding Eye Surgery: I am an optometrist. Unfortunately some of what was most recently posted is misleading if not flat-out wrong. 1. Laser Vision Correction (LVC) will not make you more prone to problems with your near vision. However, if (a) you are nearsighted before the surgery (and thus able to see up close without correction), and (b) you are over age 42 or so, then you will struggle with your near vision. Prior to the surgery, of course, you can see fine up close if you remove your glasses or if you have bifocals. But the LVC does …