Search Results for: antibiotic

Infectious Disease in the TEOTWAWKI World- Part 2, by Militant Medic

…resembles a human the more likely the treatment will hurt you as well. Significant side effects are common with many parasite treatments. Like viruses and fungi, parasites are usually unaffected by antibiotics. Prions are infectious proteins that can cause other proteins to change shape, leading to harmful effects to the host. As they do not contain any genetic material and cannot reproduce in the classical sense, technically they are not living organisms. Prions were not discovered until 1982 and are rare. They are the causative agents of Mad Cow Disease and Kuru. Prion disease is transmitted by eating infected brain and spinal cord tissue. Once acquired there are no treatments and prion disease is universally fatal. So, don’t eat brains. How Do Antibiotics Work? Before we talk about how antibiotics work, I want to discuss something called Antibiotic Spectrum of Activity. Antibiotics are generally classified as Broad-spectrum, Intermediate- spectrum, or…


Letter Re: Stocking Up on Augmentin–the Antibiotic of Choice

Jim: I’m somewhat reluctant to offer blanket medical advice to non-patients, but after reading SF in Hawaii’s comments about Augmentin (Amoxicillin-clavulanate) bears comment. There is no ‘one best antibiotic’ for all purposes. Antibiotics have to be administered based on the specific type of bacteria causing an infection. Administering the wrong antibiotic doesn’t just not work, it causes bacteria that are not killed outright to become resistant to it – which can cause problems down the road. People have pathogenic bacteria in and on them all the time, when something causes them to go out of balance and cause disease. At the very basic level, antibiotics are based on the cell wall of the bacteria (which determines if it will stain pink or blue with the Gram microscopic stain process). Once that determination is made, certain bacteria are sensitive to certain drugs. If I were to recommend a basic armamentarium of…


In Praise of Betadine, by A. Woofer

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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 of wound care without antibiotics.  A minor scratch can kill you. With TEOTWAWKI, we would rapidly re-enter the pre-antibiotic era.    So what are we to do with the routine nicks and scratches, let alone, major wounds? The simple answer is that primary wound care, with an emphasis on preventing infection…


Letter Re: Gentian Blue — An Old School Antibiotic

James Wesley: At a slide show about extreme trekking in the tropics, I asked the speaker what they used as a topical antibiotic and antifungal medicine while on the expedition.  The speaker said they relied on Gentian Blue, an antibiotic that was used in World War I and II. Gentian Blue (or Crystal Violet) is used as a clothing dye.  The early chemical industry put a big emphasis on the development of dyes. In the race to discover the first antibiotics, every chemical on the shelf was tested, and Gentian Blue was found to have powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitical properties.  Gentian Blue is still used to treat bacterial and fungal skin infections and thrush (yeast) infections of the mouth. It might be useful for the treatment of drug resistant Staph infections.  It is not used for the treatment of deep wounds because it can permanently tattoo the tissue, but…


Guest Article: Seven Ways to Stretch Your Medicine Safely, by Doc Cindy

…the counter (OTC). Precious narcotics may be stretched by using only if Tylenol or OTC anti-inflammatories, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen are ineffective. Understand when to treat symptoms rather than infection. The goal of antibiotic therapy is to minimize bacterial growth until your own immune system can take over. This does not necessarily mean taking an antibiotic until all symptoms are resolved. For example, for sinusitis, three days of Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is as effective in the long run as a 10-day course. The natural history of many illnesses includes a period of post-infection inflammation. You may still experience nasal congestion for several days after a sinus infection is gone, but this does not mean you necessarily need an antibiotic that long. This is also true of bronchitis, where a cough may linger for weeks. Five days of antibiotic therapy is enough in most cases, where an antibiotic is actually required; in…


Bring Your Own Bandaids- Part 3, by A.&J. R.

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…when food has been left out too long and the bacteria already have multiplied within the food, or 12-72 hours later, when the bacteria producing the toxin have reproduced within the intestines. The body usually handles food poisoning on its own. For more resistant bacteria, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin or azithromycin may be helpful. Natural remedies include castor oil, activated charcoal, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Essential oils to consider include geranium and lavender. Clostridium Difficile Clostridium difficile (C. diff) generally occurs in people exposed to other sick individuals (like a hospital or care facility) or people who have very recently taken antibiotics for another illness. The antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in the gut (which is why probiotics are recommended when taking antibiotics), allowing resistant bacteria to grow unhindered. C. diff bacteria produce a toxin that usually causes abdominal cramping, fever, and always diarrhea with an odor a bit…


Letter Re: Anthrax Review for TEOTW

Dear Mr. Rawles,  I have just one brief addition to Dr. Bob’s excellent synopsis of the dangers of anthrax regarding treatment/prevention with antibiotics. First, I must commend Dr. Bob on all of his important advice, and for his courage to offer a much needed service (the prescribing of antibiotics in advance of need) in this highly litigious society.   Understanding that in TEOTWAWKI our current risk:benefit analysis will be drastically changed, and short-course antibiotic therapy may be all that is available to us, I felt compelled to mention the current CDC recommendations regarding duration of therapy. Antibiotic use in inhaled anthrax is slightly different in prophylaxis (prevention of the disease in those who have been exposed, but are yet to display symptoms) and in treatment (those who have already begun the flu-like symptoms described by Dr. Bob).   The adult prophylactic regimen recommended consists of oral ciprofloxacin 500mg twice daily…


Rethinking Food Storage – Part 1, by Anita Bailey

…with antibiotics in the food supply is that they contribute to creating antibiotic-resistant diseases. The end result is that it may take more antibiotics, or require a longer dosing time, or mean that an antibiotic no longer is effective against a specific disease. The more antibiotics one must take, or take for a longer time, can contribute to multiple issues including irritable bowel disease. About 35,000 people in the US die annually from drug-resistant infections, and an estimated 5 million around the world. Few consumers know that imported foods are treated to ionizing radiation. Until a couple years ago, I didn’t know either. That morning avocado toast, with the avocado imported from outside the US borders, has likely been irradiated. The FDA indicates that use of irradiation is done to prevent accidental importation of insects, fungi, and other plant diseases into the country – that’s why a US-grown avocado probably…


The First Aid Kit as a Multi-Layered Medical Resource, by Hambone

…have been enough to properly treat this child for what began as a minor injury.  In a multi-layer system, the IFAK is the first of 4 layers – this kit should have something to clean an injury, some antibiotic ointment and something to cover the injury.   I keep one of several IFAK at hand, work or play.  The size factor is focused on something small enough so that you always have it hand – in a pocket, purse, briefcase, or toolbag.  One per individual, extras for workspace. Suggested contents: (you can have whatever you want, these are just suggestions) Case, hard, designed for cigarettes.  Splits in half and is pretty waterproof.  The orange color is a plus.  Anything from a glasses case to a small bag or pouch  will work. Inside are several adhesive bandages – both strip and ‘dot’ 4 Providone-Iodine prep pads 2 foil packets of Betadine antibiotic…


Letter Re: Stocking Up on Augmentin–the Antibiotic of Choice

Jim: I finally bit the bullet and bought 100 tablets of Augmentin (Co-Amoxiclav), the survivalist’s antibiotic of choice (or so I’m told). It was a tidy sum and unlike the rest of my supplies, it is not something that will store indefinitely (18 month expiration date, but I’d use it at twice that date as it is being stored in a refrigerator), nor is it something that I can rotate though and use like food. On the way back from the pharmacy I showed the kids what I’d gotten. “But dad, I thought you hated antibiotics.” my eldest said. “I don’t hate them, I just don’t like to use them unnecessarily.” I replied. I then went on to tell them about how penicillin was discovered and how bacteria and scientists are in a continual war of trying to outsmart each other. I then said “I’d rather have it..” and before…


Medical Care in TEOTWAWKI, by GeorgiaDoc

…is one of many reasons doctors try to limit the use of antibiotics. It is a potentially serious complication of antibiotic use. Sometimes when taking an antibiotic, the normal bowel bacteria are killed off allowing this nasty bacteria to grow out. So if someone gets the typical diarrhea, cramps, sometimes low grade fever after taking antibiotics, it is probably clostridium difficile. This is treated with metronidazole. Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat. So we would expect a sore throat, fever over 101, and swollen glands. If the patient has viral symptoms like cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, and does not have a fever, the odds are 20-1 or more it is a cold. Treat it symptomatically. I discussed the treatment of these bacterial infections in my previous article. OTC medications for symptoms. 1. Diarrhea: Imodium 2. Runny nose: antihistamines, Benadryl 3. Congestion: Sudafed 4. Fever: Advil, Tylenol…


TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery–Part I: Ingrown Toenails, by Dr. K.

…very hot and use small needle nose pliers to hold it. Another method is to apply a Q-tip soaked in phenol solution to the root. This chemically cauterizes the matrix. This is not as effective and you have to buy and store the solution, but it is another option. Again only apply it to the root; it will kill any tissue it touches. 11. Apply antibiotic ointment over the raw tissue. Apply a bulky gauze wrap, but do not wrap it too tight. It will throb as sensation returns. 12. Change the dressing, clean with warm water, and apply topical antibiotic ointment daily. Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Avoid strenuous exercise for at least a week. 13. The empty nail bed will fill in with normal tissue in the next few weeks. Your patient will be left with a healthy, but skinnier, toenail. Surgical Complications 1. Not all the…


Letter Re: TEOTWAWKI Medicine and Minor Surgery

…non penicillin and non cephalosporin antibiotics such as Primaxin (imipenem) other “penems” and aztreonam (all are injection only drugs at this time). Also use of Cleocin (clindamycin) is very significantly associated with a diarrhea that may prove fatal if the specific toxin that causes this “pseudomembranous colitis diarrhea” is not quickly neutralized with either oral vancomycin or Flagyl (metronidazole), very different types of antibiotics that kill the Clostridium difficile bacterial overgrowth germ that produces the toxin. In fact, use of any antibiotic or anticancer drug may result in this type of serious diarrhea that needs this specific treatment. But this complication is particularly associated with use of clindamycin (even short exposures) and more than 10 day courses of all other antibiotics. It is best to treat cellulitis and indeed any minor skin infection, with warm soaks several times a day, before resorting to use of antibiotics and surgical incision to…


Health, Hygiene, Fitness and Medical Care in a Coming Collapse, by RangerDoc

…get him to write you a 6-12 month prescription. Also ask him to write you prescriptions for the antibiotics that I recommend below. You should also get several bottles of eye and ear antibiotic drops. Admittedly, this may be an uphill battle. Hopefully you can educate your physician about the importance of preparedness and make him an ally. Tell the Wal-Mart pharmacist that you are going on a mission trip to a distant land without access to pharmaceuticals. This would not really be a lie, would it?! Don’t worry about your cholesterol- it will drop on your new diet…but then, my guess is that the survival lifestyle will also “cure” most hypertension and non-insulin dependent diabetes. But, please, try to get to that level of lean fitness prior to encountering the “SHTF” dilemma. I recommend a stockpile of four antibiotics that will treat most conditions that will really require them:…


Letter Re: Gaining Pharmaceutical Knowledge

Dear Mr. Rawles: I recently read through the cluster of articles regarding preparation measures for antibiotic storage and use on your blog, starting with A Doctor’s Thoughts on Antibiotics, Expiration Dates, and TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. Bones. As the medic for my family resilient survival group and an EMT paramedic, I have learned of some resources relevant to this discussion that will be useful to your readers. The first is the Sanford Guide. This is a book used daily by physicians and other healthcare providers worldwide to assist with empiric antibiotic treatment of infectious diseases. Empiric therapy means that you’re not sure exactly which bug is causing the disease, but based on the location of the infection and other characteristics (like patient age and other illnesses), you can make an educated guess about what antibiotic you should choose. This is akin to going hunting and not knowing exactly which guns to…