The Prepper's Medical Handbook

by William Forgey M.D.

Overview

The basis of adequate prepping is being prepared for both common and dire events that may occur under the worst of all possible circumstances. These circumstances might include the breakdown in normal emergency support services (such as calling 911), the lack of an ability to obtain additional supplies, and the probability that you will not be able to rely on anyone but members of your immediate group or yourself.

Prepping requires forethought with regard to food, water supplies, power, and protection – all areas of significant technical preparation. Self-reliant medical care is no exception.

This book provides the basis of prevention, identification, and long-term management of survivable medical conditions and can be performed with minimal training. It helps you identify sources of materials you will need and should stock-pile, it discusses storage issues, and directs you to sources for more complex procedures that require advanced concepts of field-expedient techniques used by trained medical persons such as surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, or midwifes and obstetricians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493046942
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/24/2020
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	77,451
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Veteran outdoor author William Forgey, M.D. is engaged in the full-time practice of family medicine and is a member of the board of trustees of the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers, a fellow of the Explorers Club, and a past president of the Wilderness Medical Society. A former Boy Scout scoutmaster and Medical Explorer Post and High Adventure Post advisor, he currently serves on the National Health and Safety Committee and as an advisory board member for the Northern Tier High Adventure Base for the Boy Scouts of America. He is the author of many wilderness medicine and camping books, including Basic Illustrated Wilderness First Aid (Falcon). He lives in Crown Point, Indiana.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 How to Prepare for Medical Care Off the Grid 1

Off-Grid versus No-Grid Medical Prepping 1

How to Use This Book 2

Chapter 2 Assessment and Stabilization 4

Assessment and Care 4

Initial Assessment 6

Survey the Scene

Check the Airway and Breathing

Check Circulation

Check for Severe Bleeding

Check the Cervical Spine

Focused Assessment 8

The Physical Exam

Vital Signs 9

Level of Responsiveness

Pulse

Respirations

Skin Signs

Blood Pressure

Temperature

Oxygen Saturation

Medical History and Physical Examination 12

Head

Neck

Chest

Abdomen

Back

Pelvis/Hip

Legs

Shoulders and Arms

Shock 13

Difficult Respirations 16

Foreign Body Airway Obstruction 16

Adult One-Rescuer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) 17

Adult Two-Rescuer CPR 20

Rapid Breathing 21

Cardiac Evaluation and Care 22

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)

Rapid Heart Rate 25

Tachycardia

Slow Heart Rate 25

Bradycardia

Chapter 3 Body System Symptoms and Management 27

Symptom Management 27

Fever/Chills

Lethargy

Pain

Itch

Hiccups

Headache

Eye 36

Eye Patch and Bandaging Techniques

Foreign Body Eye Injury

Contact Lenses

Eye Abrasion

Snow Blindness or Ultraviolet Eye Injury

Conjunctivitis

Iritis

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Sties and Chalazia

Spontaneous Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

Blunt Trauma to the Eye

Glaucoma

Nose 51

Nasal Congestion

Foreign Body Nose Injury

Nosebleed

Nose Fracture

Ear 53

Earache

Outer Ear Infection

Middle Ear Infection

Foreign Body Ear Injury

Ruptured Eardrum

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome

Mouth and Throat 59

Sore Throat

Infectious Mononucleosis

Mouth Sores

Chest 62

Bronchitis/Pneumonia

Pneumothorax

Pulmonary Embolus

Abdomen 65

Abdominal Pain

Gall Bladder Problems and Appendicitis

Vomiting

Motion Sickness

Diarrhea

Constipation

Hemorrhoids

Hernia

Bladder Infection

Reproductive Organs 77

Venereal Diseases

Vaginal Discharge and Itching

Menstrual Problems

Spontaneous Abortion

Ectopic Pregnancy

Pregnancy

Painful Testicle

Poisoning 84

Plant or Food Poisoning

Petroleum Products Poisoning

Ciguatera Poisoning

Scombroid Poisoning

Puffer Fish Poisoning

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Managing Diabetes 86

Water and Waste 88

Oral Fluid Replacement Therapy

Water Purification

Human Waste Disposal

Chapter 4 Radiation 96

Units of Radiation Measurement

Diagnosis and Management of Radiation Exposure and Illness

Chapter 5 Dental Care 109

Gum Pain or Swelling

Mouth Lacerations

Dental Pain

Lost Filling

Cavity

Loose or Dislodged Tooth

Pulling a Tooth

Chapter 6 Soft Tissue Care and Trauma Management 116

The Bleeding Wound 118

Stop the Bleeding

Clean the Wound

Antibiotic Guidelines

Wound Closure Techniques 126

Tape Closure Techniques

Stapling

Suturing

Special Considerations 130

Shaving the Wound Area

Bleeding from Suture or Staple Use

Scalp Wounds

Eyebrow and Lip Closure

Mouth and Tongue Lacerations

Control of Pain

Dressings

Other Types of Wounds 133

Abrasions

Puncture Wounds

Splinter Removal

Fishhook Removal

Friction Blisters

Thermal Burns

Human Bites

Animal Bites

Finger and Toe Problems 144

Ingrown Nail

Paronychia (Nail Base Infection)

Felon

Blood under the Nail

Wound Infection and Inflammation 147

Abscess

Cellulitis

Skin Rash 149

Fungal Infection

Allergic Dermatitis

Bacterial Skin Rash

Seabather's Eruption

Chapter 7 Orthopedics-Bone and Joint Pain and injury 154

Management Off the Grid 154

Concepts of Orthopedic Care 155

Muscle Pain-No Acute Injury

Muscle Pain-Acute Injury

Joint Pain-No Acute Injury

Joint Pain-Acute Injury

Fractures

Diagnosis and Care Protocols 164

Head

Neck

Spine

Collarbone

Shoulder

Shoulder Blade

Upper Arm Fractures (Near the Shoulder)

Upper Arm Fractures (Below the Shoulder)

Elbow Trauma

Forearm Fractures

Wrist Fractures and Dislocations

Thumb Sprains and Fractures

Hand Fractures

Finger Fractures and Sprains

Hip Dislocation and Fracture

Thigh Fractures

Kneecap Dislocation

Knee Sprains, Dislocations, and Fractures

Ankle Sprains, Dislocations, and Fractures

Foot Injuries

Chapter 8 Bites and Stings 193

Venemous Stings 193

Anaphylactic Shock

Snakebites 196

Identifying Common North American Poisonous Snakes

Signs and Symptoms of Pit Viper Bite

Treatment of Pit Viper Bite

Neurotoxic Snakebites

Treatment of Coral Snake Bites

Insect Bites and Stings 200

Spider Bites

Ticks

Caterpillar Reactions

Millipede Reactions

Centipede Bites

Mosquitoes

Black Flies

No-See-Ums and Biting Gnats

Scorpion Stings

Ants/Fire Ants

Aquatic Stings, Cuts, and Rashes 208

Sea Urchin

Jellyfish

Coral Stings

Coral and Barnacle Cuts

Stingray

Catfish

Scorpion Fish

Sponge Rash

Chapter 9 Bioterrorism and Infectious Disease 212

Managing Infectious Diseases in North America and Potential Off-Grid Travel Destinations 218

Anaplasmosis

Babesiosis

Blastomycosis

Chikungunya Fever

Cholera

Coccidioidomycosis

Colorado Tick Fever

Dengue

Echinococcus

Ehrlichiosis

Encephalitis

Giardiasis

Hantavirus

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis D

Hepatitis E

Hepatitis G

Leptospirosis

Lyme Disease

Malaria

Measles (Rubeola)

Meningococcal Meningitis

Mumps

Plague

Rabies

Relapsing Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rubella (German Measles, 3-Day Measles)

Schistosomiasis

STARI

Tapeworms

Tetanus

Tick Paralysis

Trichinosis

Trypanosomiasis, African (African Sleeping Sickness)

Trypanosomiasis, American (Chagas Disease)

Tuberculosis

Tularemia

Typhoid Fever

Endemic Typhus, Flea-Borne

Epidemic Typhus, Louse Borne

West Nile Virus

Yellow Fever

Zika Virus

Chapter 10 Environmental Injuries 246

Hypothermia 247

Chronic Hypothermia

Acute Hypothermia

Cold Water Submersion

Cold-Stress Injuries 252

Frostrip

Frostbite

Cold-Induced Bronchospasm

Immersion Foot

Chilblains

Heat-Stress Injuries 255

Dilutional Hyponatremia

Heat Cramps

Heat Exhaustion

Heat Stroke

Prickly Heat

Lightning 261

High Altitude Illnesses 265

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

Chapter 11 The Off-Grid Medical Kit 269

Alternative and Herbal Therapy 269

Topical Bandaging Module

Non-Rx Oral Medication

Module

Rx Oral/Topical Medication Module

Rx Injectable

Medication Module

Cardiac Medication Module

Replacement Medications 296

Prepper's Medical Resource Bookshelf 298

Clinical Reference Index 300

About the Author 312

Editorial Reviews

Forgey provides extensive help in situational assessment – is it heartburn or heart attack? Twisted, strained, broken ankle? And how to stabilize the situation. This is not so much a book to carry with you, but a book to read – cover-to-cover – every year or so. If things turn sour, what Doc Forgey calls prepping could be just what you need.”

—Tim Mead - Midwest Outdoor Journal

“Are you ready to be the family doctor? A month ago I received The Prepper’s Medical Handbook and I was blown away. It's easy to understand, simple to navigate and laid out in a way that makes it a great resource for the average person. The second wave of COVID-19 could affect hospitals again. It might be up to you to treat your loved ones!”

—James Walton - Prepper Broadcasting Network

“The Prepper’s Medical Handbook is an excellent resource to arm yourself with the in-depth medical first aid knowledge that you need. The book is 320 pages and it’s full of photos and illustrations. There is also a useful lookup index in the back of the book. It is incredibly comprehensive and covers almost every first aid medical issue that you can imagine, and many that you wouldn’t have thought of before. It is informative, authoritative, and interesting to read.”

—Hunt Tested

“The Prepper’s Medical Handbook by Dr. Forgey is clearly well-written, truly informative, and condenses decades of knowledge into an easily referenced resource we should all have in our SHTF library. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy today.”

—Damian Brindle - reThink Survival

“A medical book can be right on target but I always ask myself before buying any reference book “Does it have solutions that I can actually use?” The answer, in this case, is that The Prepper’s Medical Handbook has a ton of solutions that are all within the skill level and resources of the average American today.”

—Backdoor Survival

“Hopefully, none of us will ever be in a situation where we will need to apply the information in this book, but if the last few months have taught us anything, it’s that you never know. If we are ever off the grid by our own choosing or by unforeseen circumstances and have an unexpected medical problem, Dr. Google won’t be able to help us, but Dr. Forgey will.”

—Nobody Hikes in LA

From the Publisher