Tetanus vaccine is a must, if you saw an animal die of tetanus, you would not hesitate. Yes, get your teeth in order
Maxi pads are also great for bandages, also, so don’t hesitate to stock up.
Soap, get lots of soap, Ivory. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Tooth brush, toothpaste, stock up. Really!
Iodine, rubbing alcohol, aspirin, Tylenol, anti-diarrhea meds, antibiotic cream, Benadril for allergic reactions and Dramamine ®, can be used for dizziness
Antibiotics for livestock…if hospitals are tapped out, and your wife or children has a sever infection, would you use an antibiotic labeled for livestock?
First aid books and even minor surgery books should be kept in a library. Also a book on local plants and there usefull traites are available. Keep well informed, but you can’t know everything, but at least you will have somewhere to read about a subject.
Also, know how to make electrolites to rehydrate a body. Keep all these and more written down or in books, invaluable in true emergencies, when it counts!
As an RN for 30 years I prefer natural alternative medicine and treatments. I am actively learning about how to make herbal medications and use them. I am sticking to those that I can personally grow to sustain a ready supply. It really takes some focus since there are so many herbs listed in books. Focus on what your personal needs are, and prepare some herbs that can be used for emergency situations. I am trying to keep the list under 15 since I know I would have no problem growing them. I am also stocking up on the highest proof alcohol I can get. It is easy to make tintures and there is a ton of information on the subject. Besides if you don’t make tintures with the alcohol it can be used as trading supplies.Good health practices, good hygiene, are the best we can do for ourselves. I agree with all the above, get your dental work done, eyes checked , basic health check-ups asap. Store medications. I don’t take vaccinations but if others want to that is their choice. I rarely get the flu or colds. Only time I ever got pneumonia was after I had a flu vaccination, thought I was going to die. I do get the tetanus vaccine since I dig in the dirt so much.
Happy Herb Hunting.
Another great wound/skin prep is chlorhexadine. Some folks have allergies to iodine and betadine preps also require drying time to be effective, as well as starting at the wound site and working outward. Chlohexadine is a monster of a killer and does not require you to work from the dirty area outward, ya just need to scrub it. Another benefit? It's bacteriocidal/anti fungal properties last for hours post application! Downside, it will sting, as its alcohol based. Hibbiclense (sp?) is a chlorhexidine soap that comes in small bottles that you can dilute and use to wash wounds. I have only encountered one patient, ever, who had an allergy to chlorhexadine prep. But I've had quite a few with betadine allergies. Betadine is the prep of choice for the face and around the ears, as chlorhexadine is ototoxic and really harsh on more delicate tissues.
Basically, know your skin preps, and your "patient", in order to make the best treatment decisions.
a side note? Commonly seen in first aid kits are triple abx ointments and packets of bacitracin. Be aware, people with allergies to Sulfa drugs may react very badly to Bacitracin, even just a topical application. As with all antibiotics, use if needed. A generous layer of Vaseline is very safe, keeps the wound bed moist to promote healing, and is a fantastic barrier, especially when covered with a telfa dressing. I'm not saying don't use antibiotic ointments. It's the same point I made in reference to skin prep; Know your patient, and your alternative methods of treatment. I'm a surgical RN, so these are things I have to know. I hope this info was helpful!
Hi Folks-
I found a link "Doom and Bloom", which is focused on Survival Medicine", at http://www.doomandbloom.net/. It looks like it has a lot of useful information relevant to "Health and First Aid" for those of us preparing for a new normal. In addition to addressing specific medical conditions (allergic reaction, asthma, burns, etc.), they also have articles, podcasts, videos and classes. It looks like a good resource. Here is an excerpt from their "About Us" section:
Doom and Bloom is Dr. Bones, an M.D. and Nurse Amy, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. They’re Preppers and Certified Master Gardeners bringing you traditional and alternative medical strategies for survival in times of trouble.
Nurse Amy is a certified nurse midwife as well, and an expert on herbal remedies and essential oils. Her tilapia pond is teeming with activity and new babies. She has also written articles on survival gardening and natural remedies for Survivalist and Backwoods Home Magazine.
Dr. Bones is a contributor to Survivalist Magazine, Backwoods Home,Self Reliance Illustrated, and Survival Quarterly, and has written a chapter on Basics of Medical Survival for Doctor Prepper’s latest edition of “Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook.” He is a member of Mensa and collects 19th century medical books to gain insight on off-grid medical strategies.
One of the things that I have added to my first-aid kit is Celox, which can be used to stop bleeding from traumatic wounds in emergency situations. Celox is a:
Blood clotting solution for clotting severely bleeding wounds, including major arterial hemorrhages
Administered by pouring into wound and packing to form a plug
Non-heat generating, non-allergenic, and removable from wound for treatment
Tested to class 3 European conformity (CE) marking standards for safety
CeloxTM can stop even potentially lethal bleeding fast. ...In pre-clinical tests by the US Navy, CeloxTM was the only product to give 100% survival. It gave a strong stable MAP (mean arterial blood pressure) and was also the only product to give robust clotting with no rebleeding*. Celox'sTM safety has been tested to the intense class 3 CE mark standards. CeloxTM is made with chitosan. Chitosan is made up of compounds of glucosamine, a sugar that is normally found in the body.
....
Average Time to Clot Whole Blood: 30.5 Seconds.
Average Time to Clot Heparinized Blood: 48 Seconds.
The comments on Amazon give some pretty impressive first-person experiences with using this product.
One note: The packages are "single use", as the Celox starts to degrade once opened. So on one hand, it is good to have larger packages in your 1st aid kit so you have enough to deal with a major wound if needed. But on the other hand, if smaller wounds come up that you want to use it on, you may also want some smaller sized packets so the rest of the Celox doesn't go to waste.
I believe this product, which I acquired, came up in discussions here some years back. Someone- Aaron?- mentioned careful use of this product. Tearing open a package with your teeth whilst holding a pumping wound with your other hand…an unplanned inhalation might have, um, unintended consequences…Aloha, Steve.
Good health practices, good hygiene, are the best we can do for ourselves. I agree with all the above, get your dental work done, eyes checked , basic health check-ups asap. Store medications. I don’t take vaccinations but if others want to that is their choice. I rarely get the flu or colds. Only time I ever got pneumonia was after I had a flu vaccination, thought I was going to die. I do get the tetanus vaccine since I dig in the dirt so much.