Jan12012
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Ask the Outback Doc: What medical supplies do most people overlook?
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PDFVisit The Outback Doc’s website, Outback Medicine. Look for more, “Ask The Outback Doc” columns here on The Survival Mom.
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A typical first aid kit provides only the barest minimal supplies that a well-equipped home should have when it comes to health and medicine. After giving this a good deal of thought, here are 23 additional items you should begin stocking or establishing now. Some will be easy to acquire, others, not so much.
A few items are notated with an *, to be used 0nly by individuals with advanced medical training. If this isn’t you, don’t cross the item off your list. There may very well be a doctor, nurse, EMT or other individuals with training nearby, and if you have the supplies they need, it will be a huge advantage to keeping someone alive.
- N-100 High Filtration Face Mask/Respirator! The N-100 seals to the face and provides more filtration protection than the N-95. It also has an exhalation valve.
- Security (in your own treatment area) - Being able to live and work in a secure area is a must for the melodramas that come with all urgent/emergent medical cases. This is especially true of hysterical family members and friends when a loved one’s life is in jeopardy. It may sound strange, but you need to have a plan to deal with medical issues in a secure area.
- Acquire and practice: medical skills and ability, knowledge, concentration, control (over the scene and medical situation, as these “patients” are very alive – and you want to keep them that way), stamina, will, training, and expertise.
- Cell phone spare battery! This may be your own life-saving connection (if cell phone’s still work, that is) to the outside world.
- Reference Materials - Merck Manual, JP Sanford (antibiotic guide), Tarascon’s Pharmacopea (Rx index), CPR & Cardiac Care guides, etc.
- *Penrose Drain Tubes - can be used as tourniquets or drains, etc.
- *Suction Device, manual operation (non-electric) – for anyone choking needing “suction” or as you “intubate” (i.e. stick a tube into an airway – only for advanced care professionals, mind you).
- *Foley Catheters - for urinary blockage relief, but also for a make-shift “chest tube” when necessary!
- *Nasogastric Tubes and Large Syringe - can be used for “Rectal IV” instillation when an IV cannot be accessed! (We’ve used this very successfully in the U.S. as well as in Haiti.)
- Bouillon cubes - to mix with water for an electrolyte solution to drink, when very ill. The solution can also be administered rectally with the concept above as well. Very handy to know and have on hand in a pinch!
- Antibiotics - will be a must-have in any post-collapse scenario!
- *Oropharyngeal Airways or OP Airways - can save a life right in front of you – if you know how and when to use them! Check my website, Outback Medicine, for a schedule of coming training conferences.
- Fluids. Pedialyte is best, not Gatorade!
- Over-the-counter medications. See list here.
- LED Lights - You will need lights at night: headlamps, strobes (possibly for attracting moving vehicles or people nearby), reflective cones (on the road), reflective vests, powerful LED flashlights (for runners or operations with kit) & possibly a “surgical light”, for which we use a 12-volt car light connected to a car battery!
- Blankets - hypothermia is a real danger outside when any patient is traumatized!
- Ear Candles - easy to carry and use to provide relief with ear pain!
- Organic (not synthetic) Natural Multi-B Vitamins - ”Little Red Rocket Boosters” are the best for this as they are the best organic multivitamins we’ve ever found. We’ve tested them in our actual private practices, where people who take these Red Rocket Boosters say they, “feel better, do better, sleep better, think better, look better (just kidding!) and have less fatigue!” You can’t ask much more out of a relatively cheap cost “food” vitamin that that, can you?
- Large Commercial Trash Bags - used to contain waste, worn over your torso as a make shift “rain coat” (don’t forget to punch three holes in the “top” for your head and two arms), or for “shields” when dealing with bloody/infectious messes!
- *Needles & scalpels, with the knowledge to use them properly. Training is necessary to use these items, and DO NOT USE this stuff if you don’t know how to do so, ever!
- Reflective Cones - mentioned above, but these are often nowhere around when we need one – “outside” in the “Outback” (or on the side of the road)!
- Emotional Stress Treatment - Have on hand extra meds you and family members are already taking. If you run out of special meds that treat acute episodes, it will definitely be a time to panic! This one’s tough, but we also need “comfort items” that may not have to do with “medical care” at all, post collapse! Think of things like candy, DVD’s, animals in our care that we love, protective and security for our living situations type items.
- Learn quick now to “Think Prevention First”! I wish I had time to explain all that this entails. If we thought this way as a nation – before the accidents occurred – well, I’d be out of a job, wouldn’t I? PREVENT IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS is the best mode of “medical care” in the world, and we spend a lot of time teaching people how to do this in our “Outback Medicine” conferences…because that’s what we do everyday, as well: PREVENT IT FIRST!
Listen to my interview with the Doc:
Get to know the Outback Doc at his website and blog, Outback Medicine.
© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(24) Readers Comments
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I pack the Bag of Mom. (Yes, we actually capitalize it!) It is a heavy
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Thanks for sharing these insights. Leadership is a very rare commodity
Survive the family road trip with these 13 tips
Great comments! Thanks for sharing your experiences. I hadn't thought
L P
That's actually a great list. I was surprised that it wasn't one of those generic "you gotta haves". but then, you woulnd't post one of those, would you??
Training in the use of advanced items is a must, and it is fun… not to mention (though I will) that true learning and understanding leads to peace. I think I'll run over to that site and pay a visit as you suggested.
Thumbs up!
TheSurvivalMom
The Doc has done quite a bit of work in Haiti and has a good idea of what medicine will look like in a worst-case, collapse scenario. I had never thought of stocking up on Pedialyte. He said it could be administered as an enema if a person was unresponsive and no one knew how to start an IV.
L P
Speaking of IVs… In truly remote medical situations, where a blood transfusion is necessary and possible, it would be nice to have a direct IV transfer setup. I looked around, and they are not easy to find, and can be deadly if done wrong…. but…. when there are no options, what do you do? I think it is a good practice to learn how to do things that pertain to the risks inherent in one's own adventures and lifestyle. At a minimum, a person should know his or her blood type.
Not many people would need to know how to administer an IV, conduct a transfusion, or even bulk up a blood supply after a heavy bleed. We're adding knowledge to our bag-o-tricks because we're interested in things like that, but for some, it is simply necessary.
Jathan Nalls
Hello!
I should mention that if you have an IV kit, but no one has actual IV training or knows how to cannulate a vein, there is a process known as "Hypodermoclysis" that is an extremely effective and safe way of treating dehydration or hypovolemia in children or adults. Basically, instead of being inserted directly into a vein, the IV cather is simply inserted into the subcutaneous fat of the lower abdomen, thigh, or the back of the upper arm, and fluid is infused directly into the subcutaneous tissue. This is a little slower than an acutal IV infusion, but it is very effective and comfortable. An adult can absorb about 3 liters of fluid over 24 hours via this method. Caution: aseptic technique must be practiced, proper IV equipment must be used, and only medical isotonic IV fluids such as normal (0.09%) saline or lactated ringers can be used, or consequences could be disasterous. Here is more information on this technique: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/1101/p1575.html (post this in your browser).
Jathan http://www.medcallassist.com
Doc Phillips
Even contemplating doing a blood transfusion – direct person to person, on your own – is not unlike contemplating doing a heart transplant on your own in your garage. Don't even try this. It's too dangerous, and the lives you kill could be BOTH the DONOR and the RECIPIENT – through a transfusion reaction, which you would be clueless on how to stop, once it starts. MEDICINE IS NOT THIS SIMPLE. Listen, I think we need to throw out the things we've seen on TV related to stuff like "blood transfusions" and "gotta take the bullet out" post GSW. They're all wrong; totally incorrect in what they imply, medically -speaking. Hint: Bullets do not need to be taken out in most GSW's "…or he'll die if we leave it in, Marshall". Wrong! They're left in all of the time – unless they're dangerously close to a vital organ, etc.
Doc Phillips @ http://www.outbackmedicine.com
TheSurvivalMom
Nice to see you, LP!
L P
Thank you!
Zoomer
Missing from the OTC list is loperimide (Immodium) for diarrhea and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for multiple uses. Even though you have water purification equipment in your bugout bag, you should have backup in your medical kit as well. Clean water is one of the biggest life-savers and diarrhea is one of the biggest enemies.
Zoomer
You don't want to use the loperimide for all cases of diarrhea, but it can save a life if used with protracted diarrhea (more than a day's worth). The diphenhydramine can be used for allergies, sedation (caution; never on a head injury), or to quell an upset stomach.
Doc Phillips
Correction: You don't want to use anti-diarrhea agents MOST ALL OF THE TIME with diarrhea, as told by many. It's a huge mistake to think about "having to stop diarrhea" this way, almost always. The correct rule in medicine is: with diarrhea, "replace what comes out" with fluids via intake – however that "intake" must occur, whether this be via IV Fluids, Oral Fluid Replacement or even Rectal Fluid Infusions (which cannot be done if having diarrhea – due the intestinal secretory action turned on by many viruses – causing the diarrhea). The Subcutaneous Bolus Infusion method is interesting, if not wildly out of most person's ability to accomplish – not to mention dangerous (despite what some "cheap medical outlets" might tell you) without training. For instance, what do you do if you puncture an artery in the process of this "simple procedure"? Or, what do you do if you cause a deep tissue, deadly, spreading, infection by this procedure? I am not a fan of trite and cavalier "quick fixes" when it comes to having persons without common medical sense, experience or "degrees" of a significant level, give you "quick answers" to sometimes complex problems that you might cross "when there is no medical help" (to help you fix the problems your "quick fixes" might actually cause – in addition to the original problem being treated). Yes, some of this stuff works…and so does "brain surgery"…but you'd better know a heck of a lot more about "practicing real medicine" than what is implied that you should do by some of these more simple answer medical quick treatment "online tell all's," when in actual care of any patient. Take home point: What you hear, is not often correct or appropriate to do when treating any one particular problem. My favorite "not truly a quick fix – fix" topic is the one about "blood clotters" such as Celox. Stuff like this is NOT the "quick fix" it is touted to be all over the internet; there are many problems with using or relying on an agent such as this. Once again, it's not that easy – in reality. Wish it was, but it is not. Sorry to be a party-pooper to the pop prep medical players out here today. But, somebody needs to monitor all this "easy medicine" deception put out here for someone to "go try," surely . Carry on. We DO have a collapse to prepare for…unfortunately.
Doc Phillips @ http://www.outbackmedicine.com
Zoomer
Also, one of the best emergency devices known to man (and I have used it during an emergency) is the kitchen basting syringe. It can be used to clear blood or vomitus from the airway or be used like a penrose drain when hooked up to surgical tubing. If someone is seriously dehydrated and cannot keep down fluid, the basting syringe can be used with pedialyte to give a potentially life-saving fluid enema. Note that it may still not work, and you'd need to sterilize afterwords to use it for anything else.
Also, while your kit should be full of dressings and 4X4's, a good supply of unscented tampons and pads is not only good for female hygiene, but can serve to briefly tamponade serious wounds.
J. Hubbard, M.D.
Great list. I would agree with everything but the ear candles. Sometimes they can do more harm than good. Would love to get your take.
TheSurvivalMom
When my daughter had a horrific ear ache last month, we tried everything except ear candles, so I can't speak from experience. If the Outback Doc happens by, maybe he can share his thoughts.
Doc Phillips
Interesting comment…but appears to me to be entirely wrong. Dr. Hubbard may not be familiar with “alternative medicine” in actual experience? Most MD’s aren’t, unfortunately. What harm (provided this is done correctly) can this “ear candle” treatment do to a patient, as you claim? Yes, “all treatments have possible side effects”…and I’d imagine the fire involved, the hot tin plate and an idiot at the wheel (who might use a hammer to insert the candle into an ear, etc.) might well cause “harm” to any patient…but “ear candles”…done correctly…really? Not likely gonna harm many, and the benefits are absolutely amazing, too! Our personal experience in our urgent cares show about 98% of those treated while having symptoms feel “much better” after the first “candle” treatment and even “better” after the second. Those stats are hard to beat, really. Zero complications have we found.
Yep. Just stopped by to see how the comments were coming. Going to have to spend a day looking at the one below, too. Looks like a mess, but I would be looking for problems, now, wouldn’t I! Ha. Check back to see what trouble I can get into on that comment below, later! Cuz it’s coming soon, I promise, and it’s gonna be a long one! Also, take a look at our site: <a href="http://www.outbackmedicine.com” target=”_blank”>www.outbackmedicine.com as we post about these exact issues of “bad medicine” and “cheap care” VERY SOON. Thanks for opening the lid on these “worms” here, Survival Mom; it’s a needed topic about to begin now on this, absolutely! Again, sorry for the “direct assault” method of “corrections” here…but remember: THIS ISN’T A GAME we’re playing here, either.
ER Doc Phillips <a href="http://www.outbackmedicine.com” target=”_blank”>www.outbackmedicine.com
J. Hubbard, M.D.
Hi Doc Phillips,
Thanks for the response. Yes, I am familiar with alternative medicine. It's true the candles harm is rare but there have been burns, and residue in the ear canal.
Although the candles might make someone feel subjectively "better" for a short time, I don't know of any studies, alternative or otherwise, that have ever shown they actually do any objective good, such as clear out ear wax, increase healing times, decrease inflammation. In fact, studies have shown just the opposite. That the vacuum they produce doesn't have enough suction to suck out really anything.
For more info see the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ear.htm
Also Dr. Weil comments on them at http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA360594
Anyway, great tips otherwise.
Dr. Hubbard
Doc Phillips
Doc Hubbard:
O.K. I'll take the challenge. I think you're wrong, but that doesn't make me correct. This isn't about you or I, but the care of our patients. I will go search the research again on this "ear candle" issue, and in the interest of Truth along with all those who would care about this issue (i.e. the Patient's interests come first – over anything else), I will bring back what is found – whatever it says, either way. Truth will be the final authority, as it should always be…science would agree with this, correct? One fair warning though; there is a qualifier to this "absoluteness" to any so-called "research". It is limited in value in that experience trumps words/research, always, in actual practice. The experience in practice "to the affirmative" for this treatment is powerful, by itself, and cannot be "dis'd"…papers, studies, MPH's (no offense), or whatever, to the contrary. For it suffices the requirements of "good treatment," which are: "it works" (at least to the human being treated it does – they are not lying about their feelings or outcomes when using this treatment), it does not "harm" anyone really, and it is doable by almost anyone (short of the "hammer man" cramming it into an ear, etc.). Then, there are the costs assoc. with this, which are LOW. Oh, and no prescription is required, as well – making it a trifecta of "good treatment" in my mind today. So, those that "study figures" vs. those that "practice (in the living human lab of) medicine" are not the same, it seems, in how they interpret what is "good treatment"; yet, one is clearly a better indicator over the other, in actual play with ailing humans…it's hard to argue with that. So, if the literature might not back this "ear candle" treatment up, again, given as well the skew of what we know about bad research (put forth for bennies by some "climbing the PhD ladder," etc.) and the discredited research that is now out there, this means to a realist like me this information would not be adequate to ever knock actual practice experience (zip in side effects, included). Information that knocked this treatment even well, would in no manner bump this into any "bad treatment" category, as it were. In fact, as you can tell, I have very little confidence the more I think about it in most "research" today. I do understand how "studies" miss much of "how it really works" with real living patients (who are not stats or studies, obviously, but real living beings).
Enough "TMI" here by me. Here is a Funny but True Example of same: It has been correctly said, you can dissect a frog in a lab, thoroughly and slowly, even enjoyably, clearly naming all the parts therein, while learning much about that dissected little frog, to everyone's knowledge and good, but in the end…guess what? You do not have a REAL FROG anymore!
But, we certainly CAN take a good look at the research out there, if it is available, can't we.
Doc Phillips
Obie
That's an excellent article and a much needed one. First aid is a topic that is often only touched on in the survivalist community. People need to understand that post-the-inevitable-collapse there aren't going to be any doctors or hospitals available to stitch our bleeding wounds or to put our broken limbs in plaster. We and our loved ones are going to have to be our own doctors. Time to learn how and to stock up on supplies that will aid us in our lifesaving efforts.
snowhawkwoman
Something else you might add to your kit is a medical suture stapler. My son works in the Peruvian Amazon, and has an extensive medical kit that he carries with him (he works with indigenous people hours away by boat from medical facilities) and needs the kit not only for himself, but to help the people. He carries suture materials too, plus scalples, numerous antibiotics, water purification, IV set ups, etc. He says the "stapler" is quick for lacerations and doesn't take the skills of a needle for sewing up a wound. Something else to add to your kit is saran wrap and good medical tape..a sucking chest wound covered can sometimes give you the time you need to get help. Also, take an EMT course….it's well worth the time and small expense! (my son is not a doctor, but has worked closely with his doctor on learning all he can, and the doctor provides him with access to a lot of items…get to know your doctor!!)
TheSurvivalMom
Great suggestions. I wonder if your son's kit comes from the MedCallAssist company. I reviewed their kit a week or two ago and it contains a skin stapler.
snowhawkwoman
I'll ask him next time he calls. He's truly a "survivor man"…he showed me photo he shot of giant grubs on a grill…says they taste like butterscotch!! The jungle area he works in is intense but he loves working with the people (TB is very prevalent in the tribes he works with…so far he's still TB negative…though on one trip he ended up with a pretty nasty intestinal parasite…a month of drugs cleared it up) he carries a water purification system, but sometimes he eats what's available, and that can be risky. He wants to take a survival medical course that is offered in Colorado, but the cost is $6,000…and he's too busy working on his doctorate and his job. (he's also trying to get into John Hopkins to get more ethno-botany experience – when he's in Peru he works with the Museum in Tarapoto as their ethno-botanist when he's not out in the jungle)
snowhawkwoman
I find the list very good. As for the "ear candling"…when my children were small we only had a couple of ear aches (breastfeeding helps prevent these)..but when they did occur….putting a few drops of warm olive oil into the ear then putting a warmed towel over the ear usually produced relief for the achy ear.
Grannytraveler
That's what my Dad with us when we were little. Never went to the doctor for earaches. When I became an adult I thought it was voodoo medicine. Now I know better.
Doc Phillips
Earaches. It makes sense that breast feeding helps prevent these, yes. It's called "passive immunity" that is passed from mother to child, via antibodies through the milk. Natural is best in many cases! One trick we used for years – knowing that "not all red ear (drums) need antibiotics" – is using Liquid Ibuprofen for the first sign of ear pain, which is inflammation as a cause, anyway. Treat the inflammation and the big bad earache usually goes away – necessitating less antibiotics used & then only for the really persistent bad infections of the ear, in a just few. Heated Oil soothes, yes, but it does not cure a thing, esp. this problem. In fact, heat can make the "inflammation" worse…as the heat causes "increased inflammation" to occur. Same with any acute injury, remember. So, be careful using heated "sweet oil" as they called it in some places.
Doc Phillips @ http://www.outbackmedicine.com
Jan
When my cat, my beautiful grey cat, was diagnosed with diabetes, she had to have injections every day, and it was expected that I would be the one injecting her. I practised in the surgery first, injecting an orange – they said the skin had the right consistency!