(Warlord's note: I asked LionSong To do a series of medical pieces for this web page after I found out about her extensive background in the area. She has more degrees than a thermometer and vast experience in the field of emergency medicine, some of which includes:

* 10 years ALS Field Paramedic (including 2 yrs as Training Officer).
* 7 years ICU & NICU Respiratory Therapist.
* 5 years Flight Medic/Flight Therapist for International Air Ambulance services.")



Preparing for Medical Emergencies in Times of Self - Reliance

By: LionSong



The best way to deal with a medical emergency is prompt, appropriate attention. Obviously the appropriate attention in any "normal" society is top notch emergency care via the EMS system with transportation to the best and closest appropriate medical facility. Okay, so you know all that. What do you do if there is no EMS available to you, and there are no medical facilities to which you could go? Let's say there isn't a doctor, nurse or paramedic in site for miles and you have a serious emergency, how then does one prepare for such as scenario? The answer to that question is what I hope to give you in a series of articles on Emergency Medical Preparation. The first part will be just an introduction to whet your appetite and hopefully get you thinking about your plans for medical care as a survivalist.

First, the disclaimer! Although I have had over 20 years experience in emergency care (both in the hospital setting and in the field), intensive care and aeromedical care, I DO NOT consider myself an expert. When Warlord asked me to write a piece for Alpha on First-aid, I suggested he find a doctor to do the honors. But alas, I guess all you doctors out there are to busy doctoring. So, until one comes available (expert doc, that is) I hope this information will aid you in preparing to deal with any medical 'situation ' in which you may find yourself. My first suggestion would be to find a true medical expert like a good ER Doc, and become his best pal! Grill him, pick his brain, ask him to teach you as much as he can. Also, check out the web- pages sited in this article, download them, put em in a loose leaf binder , organized by topic and study, study, study. Now, for you lawyers, listen up! This is an "informational only" article it is not a "how-to" treatise on becoming your own doctor. I am not prescribing medicine or handing out medical advice without a license. The following information is what I would do if I had no medical training and wanted to prepare for a possible future without the medical community at hand!


Part One: Introduction

Any THINKING survivalist can prepare and train for the potential medical emergency and be quite adept at handling many scenarios. The key word is THINK. Think before, think during and think after, anything you may do in response to an emergency. The human body is very forgiving however, it does have limitations regarding the insults it will sustain.

Since the best preparation is always proper training, my first recommendation is to take as many courses as you can. Obviously, going to medical school would be great, but is quite out of reach for many. A good Physician Assistant program would be excellent, but still very time consuming and costly. An EMT training program, followed by the Paramedic program would be ideal. Many community colleges and Vo-tech schools offer courses in emergency care. If you still can't find the time for that program, enroll in the shorter First-Responder course. Take CPR from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross, or learn the basics of first-aid from any number of courses available through your community resources. Check out the local Fire Departments and see if they offer any basic training courses. If you cannot get into a structured course or program, then find a doctor or paramedic that might be willing to put a "private" training program together for a group of your closest buddies. It's good to have several people in a "class" so you can practice various procedures on each other. Ha! It can make for a real FUN evening!!! Train yourself mentally. Watch as many medical and surgical programs as you can. Not the fiction stuff, although I understand the program E.R. is pretty accurate, medically speaking, I'm thinking more along the lines of actual surgical and medical documentaries that come out on public TV Always ask yourself, what would I do in that situation, what knowledge or skill would I need if I were called on to do that procedure or formulate a plan for treatment. Educate yourself via the Internet. There are an incredible number of web sites on general first-aid, emergency medicine, primary care medicine and just about any specialty of medicine. You could do some serious surfing and become very educated. Just make sure and use common sense when selecting material from web-sites to study. You obviously will find more accurate information from a university or medical school web-site than from a source you can't readily identify.

Start now and assemble a good medical reference library. Get the basics first, Gray's Anatomy, The Merck Manual, Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, a PDR, and a good basic anatomy and physiology text. Then obtain emergency care manuals, basic surgical procedure manuals, emergency nursing manuals, a good physical examination and diagnostic text, and then as many other medical and procedural text's as you can lay your hands on. Make sure the references are as current as possible. Although basic anatomy doesn't change, procedures and drugs are updated continually. You might even subscribe to an online medical service many physicians use to keep up to date in their own practice. As you build your reference library, be sure to "read" the material. The next best thing to knowing how-to do a procedure is knowing where to find the information and instructions that will tell you how to do it.

Experience is an excellent teacher. Good clinical and field experience is paramount in a well-rounded medical education. That's why taking a class is so beneficial. In addition to the instruction, you get hands-on experience in methods and procedures. If you can't take any actual classes, consider alternative experience. A good way to learn about anatomy is to see it up close and personal. See if you can get your local Coroner's office to allow you to "observe" some post mortem procedures. Yep, you got it, go watch a few good autopsies. It's also good reality training into the sights and smells of the medical world. Prepare yourself ahead of time though, you might want to wear a surgical mask with a few drops of peppermint by your nose. Prepare yourself for some startling visual cues. Most of the Coroners do not have the time or inclination to revive you if you pass out! See if you can get permission to ride with your local EMS service. You accompany them on calls and observe only, (no toucha` the patient! ) If you are able to put together a private training program, make sure it is rich in "practice labs". The more times you start an I.V. or perform another medical procedure in a controlled setting, the better equipped you will be to do it in an emergency that will probably be in less than perfect conditions.

As you become more educated you will want to start procuring your cache of medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals. This can be quick and easy if you have lots of $$ on hand, or it can be painstakingly slow going if you are limited for funds. Remember, there are certain things you absolutely cannot compromise on. A piece of equipment you may or may not ever use could be very expensive but it could save a life. Certain meds and I.V. solutions have a limited shelf life and are stamped with expiration dates, so rotate out VERY expired meds and replenish with fresh stuff as you need. Most medical supplies and equipment can be obtained by anyone who knows where to look, but for certain medications you will need to enlist the aid of a like minded Doctor who can write prescriptions for ordering pharmaceuticals.

The following are just a few web sites I found one evening while perusing the results of search on medical topics.

Active Fist Aid Online

Emergency Nursing

Wilderness Emergency Medicine

Disaster, Medicine and Terrorism

The Virtual Hospital

PREEMPT Planned Response Exercises and Emergency Medical Preparedness Training

WebDoctor

Merck Manual On Line

PDR Online

PharmWeb

Family Practice Handbook Online

For Reference Books:
Amazon Books

Return to The Alpha Group Web Page


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