Post by Dr Gaz on Aug 29, 2014 16:53:19 GMT 8
What would you do if you couldn’t go to your doctor, all of the hospitals were shut down, all of the pharmacies closed, and no one answered the phone when you called 000? You would be on your own. You would have to take care of yourself and your family members with the knowledge and supplies you currently have. Could you do it?
Many people have been forced to care for themselves due to partial or full system collapses in recent history. Think about these events:
- Hurricane Katrina in 2005
- The 2006 Tsunami in Thailand
- The 2010 Haitian Earthquake
- The 2011Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in Japan
Those were just the big ones. There have been countless other natural disasters on a slightly smaller scale. Besides the natural events, think about what happened in New York City when the Twin Towers were brought down. Think about the economic collapse that affected Argentina for several years. Think about the societal collapse in the Balkans in the early 1990s.
In each of these events, medical care was limited or non-existent. All of the residents affected had to take care of themselves. I ask again: could you do it?
In order to be successful, you have to have knowledge. With the right medical knowledge, you can acquire, create, or improvise many of the supplies you may need. Fortunately in this digital age, there is a lot of knowledge freely available on the Internet. The difficulty lies in sorting through all the rubbish and trying to discern good information from bad.
Well, I’ve done the work for you. Below are links to the best available free videos and publications on the internet. These resources are designed primarily for the person who is not a medical professional. Most speak in relatively clear language without too much technical jargon. With a little work, anyone reading these books should be able to understand the concepts. Almost all of these references address the issue of austere medical care…what to do when you have relatively untrained practitioners, limited equipment, and no one coming to help. These are the facts and skills you will need to learn if you want to take care of yourself in a system-collapse medical emergency.
Where There is No Doctor
hesperian.org/books-and-resources/
The most widely-used health care manual for health workers, educators, and others involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs around the world. While you are visiting this site, make sure you also download “Where There is No Dentist”, “Where Women Have No Doctor” and “A Book For Midwives”. All are excellent resources. Print versions are also available as well.
These books are a great introduction to primary care in an austere environment, offering useful information for handling everyday medical problems by unskilled caregivers with minimal access to resources. but the advice often ends with “and transport patient to definitive medical care”. That may not be enough when there is no definitive care available.
US Army Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Correspondence Course
armymedical.tpub.com/MD0554/
“When you have casualties on the battlefield, you must determine the sequence in which the casualties are to be treated and how to treat their injuries. This subcourse discusses the procedures for performing tactical combat casualty care; treating injuries to the extremities, chest, abdominal, and head; and controlling shock.”
This course was developed by the United States Army, but the lessons contained within are the battlefield medical protocols utilized by all branches of the US Military. These are the absolute best practices for handling traumatic injuries without professional medical intervention.
Combat Lifesaver Home Study Course
Having trouble finding this one!!!
This is the “advanced” version of the basic TCCC protocols course above. It is a self- guided home study course that is academically equivalent to the class that many soldiers going into combat receive.
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (2001)
www.e-booksdirectory.com/details.php?ebook=4765
This book is a little more complex than the other ones above, but it is still a very valuable reference. There are more current print versions available, but the latest books don’t vary greatly from the free version found at the link.
Survival and Austere Medicine, An Introduction (2nd edition)
www.aussurvivalist.com/downloads/AM%20Final%202.pdf
This is simply one of the best wilderness and primitive medical books available anywhere! It covers every conceivable topic including drugs, kits, herbal remedies, disease treatment, trauma, and dentistry. It also has a very comprehensive list of reference material to look at for additional study.
Ship Captain’s Medical Guide
webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121107103953/http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/workingatsea/mcga-medicalcertandadvice/mcga-dqs_st_shs_ships_capt_medical_guide.htm
Although primarily concerned with emergencies at sea, this book is an excellent medical guide for a variety of conditions written so that the lay reader can diagnose, understand, and treat most common medical conditions in the absence of more definitive care. It contains good basic coverage of hygiene, nursing and medical care with limited on-hand resources. Like “Where There is No Doctor”, the treatment sections often end with somewhat impractical advice for a grid-down scenario. “Access medical counsel via ship radio” may not be appropriate for your situation.
Operational Medicine Videos
www.operationalmedicine.org/Videos.htm
For those of you who prefer to learn skills by watching video rather than reading, this is your site! It is a treasure trove of archived military medical videos on almost every topic available.
Medical Drugs and Equipment for the Team Physician
www.orthoassociates.com/SP11D28/
A great listing of equipment and drugs for treating all types of injuries in athletes. In a survival situation, everyone will have to become an athlete. This is a great overall list of gear (and drugs) to have if you plan on taking care of a large group of people or you have a larger family.
Journal of Special Operations Medicine
www.socom.mil/jsomdocs/forms/jsom.aspx
An archive of more than 10 years’ worth of journals for continuing education of military medics. Check out each year’s “Training Supplement” for the latest guidance about how to treat virtually any common medical conditions in the field with minimal equipment. If I had only one resource to download, this “Training Supplement” would be it.
Before you dig in and get started, I have a couple of caveats….
Reading these books and stockpiling some supplies is not the same as attending medical school! If the healthcare system is functioning properly, use it! Save the knowledge in these books for when you really need it.
Also, there is no substitute for experience. If you have a greater interest in these subjects, classes are available. You will learn much more in a hands-on classroom environment than you will by just reading alone. Medical classes for non-medical personnel are sprouting up nationwide. You can find classes in every subject from Tactical Medicine to Third-World Medicine to Wilderness/Out Back Medical skills. They are all valuable. The first time that you place a tourniquet should be in class, not on the battlefield!
I have one more tip for you….
If you anticipate needing these kinds of skills, think about the environment in which you will be practicing. Don’t just save these to your computer. If there are power outages or if there is an EMP event, your computer won’t likely work. Print them out or order the books in hard copy form. There’s nothing like having a real book when the lights go out!
If you want to learn more and buy some actual hard copy books for reference material, it would be a good investment. I recommend the following:
Most are available on Amazon;
Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition by Paul S. Auerbach
2012 Nurse’s Drug Handbook
Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies by Hugh Coffee
Medicine for the Outdoors by Paul Auerbach
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy
Primary Surgery: Volume 1: Non-Trauma by Maurice King
Primary Surgery: Volume 2: Traumaby Maurice King
The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy 2012 Edited by David Gilbert
Tactical Medicine Essentials by E. John Wipfler
Wilderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid, 5th Edition by William W. Forgey
Wilderness 911 by Eric Weiss
Wounds and Lacerations: Emergency Care and Closure by Alexander T. Trott MD
Be safe and learn these skills before you need them!
Dr Gaz
Many people have been forced to care for themselves due to partial or full system collapses in recent history. Think about these events:
- Hurricane Katrina in 2005
- The 2006 Tsunami in Thailand
- The 2010 Haitian Earthquake
- The 2011Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in Japan
Those were just the big ones. There have been countless other natural disasters on a slightly smaller scale. Besides the natural events, think about what happened in New York City when the Twin Towers were brought down. Think about the economic collapse that affected Argentina for several years. Think about the societal collapse in the Balkans in the early 1990s.
In each of these events, medical care was limited or non-existent. All of the residents affected had to take care of themselves. I ask again: could you do it?
In order to be successful, you have to have knowledge. With the right medical knowledge, you can acquire, create, or improvise many of the supplies you may need. Fortunately in this digital age, there is a lot of knowledge freely available on the Internet. The difficulty lies in sorting through all the rubbish and trying to discern good information from bad.
Well, I’ve done the work for you. Below are links to the best available free videos and publications on the internet. These resources are designed primarily for the person who is not a medical professional. Most speak in relatively clear language without too much technical jargon. With a little work, anyone reading these books should be able to understand the concepts. Almost all of these references address the issue of austere medical care…what to do when you have relatively untrained practitioners, limited equipment, and no one coming to help. These are the facts and skills you will need to learn if you want to take care of yourself in a system-collapse medical emergency.
Where There is No Doctor
hesperian.org/books-and-resources/
The most widely-used health care manual for health workers, educators, and others involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs around the world. While you are visiting this site, make sure you also download “Where There is No Dentist”, “Where Women Have No Doctor” and “A Book For Midwives”. All are excellent resources. Print versions are also available as well.
These books are a great introduction to primary care in an austere environment, offering useful information for handling everyday medical problems by unskilled caregivers with minimal access to resources. but the advice often ends with “and transport patient to definitive medical care”. That may not be enough when there is no definitive care available.
US Army Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Correspondence Course
armymedical.tpub.com/MD0554/
“When you have casualties on the battlefield, you must determine the sequence in which the casualties are to be treated and how to treat their injuries. This subcourse discusses the procedures for performing tactical combat casualty care; treating injuries to the extremities, chest, abdominal, and head; and controlling shock.”
This course was developed by the United States Army, but the lessons contained within are the battlefield medical protocols utilized by all branches of the US Military. These are the absolute best practices for handling traumatic injuries without professional medical intervention.
Combat Lifesaver Home Study Course
Having trouble finding this one!!!
This is the “advanced” version of the basic TCCC protocols course above. It is a self- guided home study course that is academically equivalent to the class that many soldiers going into combat receive.
Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook (2001)
www.e-booksdirectory.com/details.php?ebook=4765
This book is a little more complex than the other ones above, but it is still a very valuable reference. There are more current print versions available, but the latest books don’t vary greatly from the free version found at the link.
Survival and Austere Medicine, An Introduction (2nd edition)
www.aussurvivalist.com/downloads/AM%20Final%202.pdf
This is simply one of the best wilderness and primitive medical books available anywhere! It covers every conceivable topic including drugs, kits, herbal remedies, disease treatment, trauma, and dentistry. It also has a very comprehensive list of reference material to look at for additional study.
Ship Captain’s Medical Guide
webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121107103953/http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/workingatsea/mcga-medicalcertandadvice/mcga-dqs_st_shs_ships_capt_medical_guide.htm
Although primarily concerned with emergencies at sea, this book is an excellent medical guide for a variety of conditions written so that the lay reader can diagnose, understand, and treat most common medical conditions in the absence of more definitive care. It contains good basic coverage of hygiene, nursing and medical care with limited on-hand resources. Like “Where There is No Doctor”, the treatment sections often end with somewhat impractical advice for a grid-down scenario. “Access medical counsel via ship radio” may not be appropriate for your situation.
Operational Medicine Videos
www.operationalmedicine.org/Videos.htm
For those of you who prefer to learn skills by watching video rather than reading, this is your site! It is a treasure trove of archived military medical videos on almost every topic available.
Medical Drugs and Equipment for the Team Physician
www.orthoassociates.com/SP11D28/
A great listing of equipment and drugs for treating all types of injuries in athletes. In a survival situation, everyone will have to become an athlete. This is a great overall list of gear (and drugs) to have if you plan on taking care of a large group of people or you have a larger family.
Journal of Special Operations Medicine
www.socom.mil/jsomdocs/forms/jsom.aspx
An archive of more than 10 years’ worth of journals for continuing education of military medics. Check out each year’s “Training Supplement” for the latest guidance about how to treat virtually any common medical conditions in the field with minimal equipment. If I had only one resource to download, this “Training Supplement” would be it.
Before you dig in and get started, I have a couple of caveats….
Reading these books and stockpiling some supplies is not the same as attending medical school! If the healthcare system is functioning properly, use it! Save the knowledge in these books for when you really need it.
Also, there is no substitute for experience. If you have a greater interest in these subjects, classes are available. You will learn much more in a hands-on classroom environment than you will by just reading alone. Medical classes for non-medical personnel are sprouting up nationwide. You can find classes in every subject from Tactical Medicine to Third-World Medicine to Wilderness/Out Back Medical skills. They are all valuable. The first time that you place a tourniquet should be in class, not on the battlefield!
I have one more tip for you….
If you anticipate needing these kinds of skills, think about the environment in which you will be practicing. Don’t just save these to your computer. If there are power outages or if there is an EMP event, your computer won’t likely work. Print them out or order the books in hard copy form. There’s nothing like having a real book when the lights go out!
If you want to learn more and buy some actual hard copy books for reference material, it would be a good investment. I recommend the following:
Most are available on Amazon;
Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition by Paul S. Auerbach
2012 Nurse’s Drug Handbook
Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies by Hugh Coffee
Medicine for the Outdoors by Paul Auerbach
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy
Primary Surgery: Volume 1: Non-Trauma by Maurice King
Primary Surgery: Volume 2: Traumaby Maurice King
The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy 2012 Edited by David Gilbert
Tactical Medicine Essentials by E. John Wipfler
Wilderness Medicine, Beyond First Aid, 5th Edition by William W. Forgey
Wilderness 911 by Eric Weiss
Wounds and Lacerations: Emergency Care and Closure by Alexander T. Trott MD
Be safe and learn these skills before you need them!
Dr Gaz
