Search Results for: medical

A Physician’s Perspective on COVID-19 – Part 1, by Doctor Dan, M.D.

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…to mention the COPD and cancer that cigarettes can cause. Some folks need a little pharmacologic assistance such as nicotine gum or Chantix. There is no shame in asking for some assistance in the battle to quit smoking and I would encourage you to take advantage of these medications your doctor may be able to prescribe you in this fight while you have that resource available. If you need any elective medical procedures, I would advise taking advantage of the window while facilities are opened to elective procedures. Should we see a second shutdown, this would be a most suboptimal time to be dealing with a meniscus tear in your knee crippling your ability to walk, or an infected gallbladder making you very sick. If you delay care until a second shutdown, medical resources may be scarce, elective surgeries postponed indefinitely, and should you become sick enough to warrant hospital…


DIY Acupuncture For When TSHTF, by Rose R.

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…THE most commonly performed invasive medical procedure in the world; Yet is considered the therapy with the lowest incidence of adverse medical events. Approaching the range of one in a million insertions causing a problem requiring further medical care. Problems that arise may be a local infection (0.01% rate of incidence), short term nerve injury (0.01% chance), systemic infection (0.001%), punctured lung (0.001%) or a broken needle (0.001%). Those odds are pretty good statistics compared to our modern western medical model which is so powerful that we all run a lifetime risk of one in four of spending some time in the hospital due to an issue caused by that standard medical care such as pharmaceuticals or doctor error (at least that’s what the CDC says). Even if you have a very ample supply of ibuprofen in your medical cache, keep in mind that daily use of ibuprofen doubles ones…


Some Thoughts About COVID-19, by The Novice

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…lie. This researcher’s concern is that the masks would encourage people to neglect other measures — avoiding close contact, crowded rooms, washing hands,etc. and not realize the mask’s shortcomings. He thought at the end of the day they might still partially help and was upset that people driven by politics, not medical concerns, were citing his criticisms as reasons to not wear masks no matter what the circumstances. Francis Unfortunately, our leaders like being in front of the television, projecting how smart they are, even if they know nothing about the subject. They then try to out do each other. I honestly don’t believe most medical …………… people because they are following the benjamins. I don’t trust the medical industry, for those of you who watch TV, Trulicity was advertised as wonderful, Trulicity is for diabetics. It was first advertised as wonderful, ask someone who is a diabetic who has…


Choosing (or Assembling) Your IFAK, by Pat Cascio

…get a copy of The Merck Manual. That is a medical library in itself, and read it – yes, read it – from cover-to-cover, so you have some kind of idea what it contains. And, keep in mind, that it is illegal to provide medical care, other than first aid, if there is other medical care available to a patient. Don’t play doctor if you can avoid it. Please! One last reference I wanted to bring up is “The Survival Medicine Handbook” by Dr. Joe Alton, and his wife, Amy Alton, a registered nurse. This is a medical school training book in itself. It is well over 600-pages and it is written for the layman. I love this book and refer to it often, especially when I want to add more medical supplies to our gear. It sells for around $35 but is well worth it. You need this book,…


A Doctor’s Thoughts on Antibiotics, Expiration Dates, and TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Bones

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…their retreat would allow them to deal with the issue until medical help (if available at all) arrives. Now, what I am about to tell you is contrary to standard medical practice, and is a strategy that is best used in the event of societal collapse that causes the unavailability of conventional medical care for extended periods of time. This line of thought that I am presenting is that “sumpthin” is better than “nuttin” and is not meant to serve as official medical advice for any circumstance but a catastrophic breakdown of our infrastructure and ability of our country to provide medical care for its citizens. If there is modern medical care available to you, seek it out. Small amounts of medications such as antibiotics could be procured by anyone who is willing to tell their physician that they are going out of the country and would like to avoid…


Medical Bartering, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

Medical bartering is as old as the hills, yet still alive today. Though you may not have encountered medical bartering in your own community, a quick web search will reveal that the days of paying your doctor with chickens continue into the 21st century. Of course, when the grid goes down or our currency collapses, you’ll need to find another method of payment for everything. On the other end, with store shelves empty, medical supplies may become a valuable medium of exchange. When stocking up on medical items for your family, it’s a great idea to purchase extra, currently inexpensive supplies for others who may want or need them in times of crisis. Items to consider for bartering include OTC medications and supplies, as well as medical skills. Under current law, bartering for prescription medication is not legal (unless you are a licensed medical professional). Bartering may occur person-to-person or…


Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 4, by K.B., M.D.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, CHOKING, AND NOSE BLEEDS Today is the last of this four-part series. I hope that the previous three parts have been informative and helpful. Our topics for today are deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, choking, and nose bleeds (epistaxis). There are also a few suggestions regarding how to make an effective emergency notebook. Before we begin, please remember to see a medical professional ASAP in an emergency! Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk for use when no timely medical professional help is available. Do not, consider the following information as complete or as any attempt to advise, diagnose, treat, or manage anyone’s medical condition. DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS AND PULMONARY EMBOLISM (LUNG CLOT) A deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins, usually of the legs….


Musings of a Law Enforcement Paramedic – Part 1, by LEO Medic

…the field– some great, some awful. There are some interesting trends with each. While we see a few medical calls (medical as in difficulty breathing or stomach pain), most of our calls are trauma based– vehicle/ATV accidents, shootings, stabbings, falls, fights, prop cuts from boats, et cetera. In addition, I end up acting as the default care provider for my co-workers, for everything from cuts and scrapes, deep splinters, allergic reactions, and dehydration to infections that were left untreated too long and pulled muscles. (Why go to town and fill out paperwork when I can get this solved here?) I share duties for coordinating medical training for my division as well as for our volunteers. Nothing in this article is legal or medical advice. It is merely my observations and experiences from these unique situations that I’ve chronicled for the benefit of others, with an eye towards practicing medicine under…


Four Letters Re: Advanced Medical Training and Facilities for Retreat Groups

…opportunity to advance my skills. In the end, once you are inside the system as a professional start asking for extra training, remember that the title Doctor means teacher and if approached with the proper attitude most good doctors are very happy to help you learn. – David in Israel   Jim: Just a quick note regarding medical training. While the combat medic courses look okay, they are limited. EMT courses require a lot of advanced equipment. A much better option would be a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course. It is an 80 hour course over about 10 days that teaches extended care and injury management. It is the gold standard in the outdoor industry. The “wilderness” designation means that definitive medical care is more than an hour away–and then trains you to deal long evacuations or extended care. There are a number of places offering WFR courses throughout the…


Medical Training – A Course Review by J.N.

This past month, I attended a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician W-EMT class put on by Wilderness Medical Associates at a local university. I can say that this is by far the best survival-oriented medical training I have received to date. This particular class was geared towards those who are already certified at the EMT level. The class was intense, and I learned a lot of things that were never brought up in my regular EMT classes. To start, here is a bit of background on what levels of medical training are out there. Most of these are accessible to the average person willing to put in the time and money. Basic First Aid – This is what you are typically taught in school, Boy Scouts, or a one-day class offered by the Red Cross. The most basic life-saving skills are taught, such as how to manage bleeding, how to recognize…


Prevail EMT Kit Pouch, by Pat Cascio

…– especially the way the world is headed these days. Some Medical Self-Sufficiency My goal is to barter first aid services, if and when the SHTF, for other things that we might need ourselves. No matter how prepared you might be, when the time comes, you’ll find gaps in your Preps. I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on television, but under adverse conditions, I might be the only trained medical professional around to help people. So, having a good medical inventory isn’t a bad idea at all. The one thing lacking in my medical preps is an Obstetrics (OB) kit. I’m still looking for some affordable ones to have around. Delivering a baby usually is complicated with plenty of fluids that need to be contained and cleaned up, so its nice to have an OB kit to make it easier. My mind is always running – 24/7…


No Man Is An Island, by J.S.

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…1 pr safety glasses 1 small magnifying glass 1 pencil w/ notebook 3 pkts quickclot gause In the medical tote box is large quantities of backup supplies along with medical books such as, SF medical book, “when there is no doctor” and “when there is no dentists” . Also a complete set of dental tools. We also hold on to all medical eguipment that the family has acquired like foot splints, crutches, litters, wheel chair, bed pans, etc. In closing I hope this helps all of you and I am sure I forgot something we packed in the ruck but just ask a mediavac paramedic and a emergency room nurse. Various kits are excellent Christmas gifts. LO My circle is made up of average joes.. until you need a specialist in electrical work, or the medical field, or a mechanic, or someone to fly a plane..my Machinist friend who is…


Getting Your Group to Buy In: The $20 Medical Kit, By EMT J.N.

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…bag that will neatly hold the kit. Check out items #40727-3VG, item #38167-0VGA, and item #32282-7VGA If you really want a top-of-the-line, well organized packaging system, look at the compartment cases from L.A. Rescue, Outdoor Research, or Atwater-Carey. A search through most EMS catalogs, or a Google inquiry should turn these up.   Useful Web Sites: Wilderness Emergency Medicine Services Institute (WEMSI) Lots of good materials, including the full text of their training manuals http://www.wemsi.org/ Where there is No Doctor (Now available on-line) http://www.healthwrights.org/books/WTINDonline.htm Free First Aid Guide (From SciVolutions, a medical manufacturer) http://www.firstaidguide.net/ Emergency Medical Products Sells a full line of EMS supplies http://www.buyemp.com Allegro Medical Generic Medical catalog, offer smaller quantities of similar items http://www.allegromedical.comBooks Wilderness Medicine (Great reference, previously recommended here on SurvivalBlog.com) Paul W. Auerbach (1,910 pages, hardcover) ISBN: 0323009506 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive Cody Lundin (240 pages, soft cover) ISBN:1586852345…


Tourniquets in Combat Medical Planning, by Robert U.

…conflicts,  but eventually the use of these tourniquets fell off due to inadequate control of bleeding, or irrecoverable damage to limbs, causing loss of most or all of the limb below the tourniquet. In 1945, an article in the Journal of the Army Medical Department, a physician cited the following:  “We believe that the strap-and-buckle tourniquet in common use is ineffective in most instances under field conditions… it rarely controls bleeding no matter how tightly applied.”  In the 1970’s, civilian emergency medical training was instituted, and Emergency Medical Technicians took to the streets.  Training for the use of tourniquets was minimal, as they were to be used only when direct pressure over the wound, elevation of the wounded extremity and utilization of pressure points to restrict arterial blood flow had failed.  The mantra ‘use only if you have to save life versus limb’ truly discouraged most emergency medical personnel from…


Thoughts on Medical Training For TEOTWAWKI, by Lumberjack

Many people both on this blog and elsewhere in the prepping community have advocated some form of professional medical training prior to encountering a disaster situation.  While I agree with this sentiment, this article is meant to discuss the limits of some medical training for lay persons in a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario, as well as review the options and advantages of the various training programs available for lay people.  That my qualifications may be known, I am an emergency room RN, an EMT, and an instructor of the Wilderness First Responder and Advanced Wilderness Life Support curriculum, with experience in wildland fire and search and rescue.    The biggest fallacy on this topic that I see routinely propagated is the notion of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for use in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation.  While I agree that more people should have this training, it is really useful only so long as the larger…