I have been very fortunate in my short life to be able to some things not everyone gets the opportunity to do. I have studied engineering, geology, and medicine. I earned my pilot’s license. I spent four of the best years of my life on a fire department. I worked as a personal trainer, framer, lifeguard, and at a shooting range. That said, hands down one of the most rewarding and influential things I have done was become an Advanced EMT. by J. Bridger, contributing writer Being an EMT taught…
Category: Medical
Cloth Mask Effectiveness for a Pandemic
There’s been a lot of conflicting information floating about on the cloth mask effectiveness for pandemics like today’s COVID-19 coronavirus. The CDC reversed its stance on wearing cloth masks recently while the WHO has a slightly different viewpoint on who should be wearing masks. In both cases, it’s an about-face stance from where medical advice began – anything short of an N95 mask is useless, and even those have limitations. by Jolina Flowers, SHTFblog’s expat prepper Since N95 masks sold out so quickly, people have been scrambling to buy up…
Bug Out Tip: Medical Matters
As one travels through the land of survival gear eventually they will end up at the medical supplies and equipment section. Bandages, creams, pills etc. come in many shapes and sizes. This can be a bit daunting since not everyone will have a medical degree to understand proper wound care or what an antipyretic is used for. Fortunately companies have figured this out and have made kits. Usually you can find lovely packaged first aid kits in all sorts of sizes. If you dig a bit deeper you might find…
The Individual Trauma Kit / IFAK
In my last article, we discussed the primary assessment tool “MARCH.” This writing is aimed at carrying the tools necessary for treating life threats. I call it an IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). Others may call it a trauma kit, blowout kit, or GSW (gunshot wound) kit. By J. Bridger, contributing author I think everyone who carries a weapon should have an IFAK and be proficient with it. I was guilty for a long time of having a $500 optic, but no med kit. Remember, your safety is your responsibility,…
MARCH – A Lifesaving Primary Assessment
During my first EMT course, our instructor outlined the phases of a patient encounter: scene safety, general impression, primary assessment, secondary assessment, and reassessment. If you’ve ever done the psycho-motor skills exam, this probably sounds familiar. After working on an ambulance, I quickly learned this organized approach was somewhat academic. by J. Bridger, contributing author Things don’t happen in real life the way they do in textbooks. Real life is messy. Not all patients want you there, not all calls are exciting, not all calls warrant a head-to-toe trauma scan.…
First-Aid Procedures You Should Know
Everyone should have a basic knowledge of first-aid. It could mean the difference between life and death for you or someone else, and its usefulness isn’t restricted to a survival situation. Here are our recommendations for starting your basic first-aid education. We’d recommend readers do more than just read the books or online courses recommended on this list. By Alex Coyne, a contributing author Free Guides to First-Aid Take at least one basic practical course in first aid with an instructor that will teach you how. Many hospitals, clinics and…
Pandemic is an Inevitability
In the summer of 2014, the media and state actors panicked over the emergence of an ebola epidemic in Western Africa. The panic was understandable and entirely warranted. After all, ebola kills around 50% of those infected. Moreover, a cursory examination of ebola’s symptoms are terrifying. Among other things, ebola can induce blood vomiting, severe rash, and liver inflammation. After the disease was reigned in and Western African States declared their health crises under control, health departments around the world began to reflect on their response to the ebola epidemic.…
Ebola Is Predictable. Human Behavior Is The Wild Card.
The Ebola river is a tributary of the Congo river and runs for about 150 miles through the northern jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1976 there were two simultaneous outbreaks of a new hemorrhagic fever. Forever after, Ebola, or more properly EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) is a single word that conjures up the ultimate enemy; a microscopic villain that grotesquely kills indiscriminately, and then kills those who try to help. I’ll be honest here. I don’t personally work with Ebola, but I do know people who do. …
