Survival Medicine

No one ever expects to be placed in a position where survival medicine skills may be needed. Before an emergency arises you should learn basic first aid and CPR.

Get Educated

The American Red Cross offers courses in basic, intermediate and advanced first aid as well as infant, child and adult CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). These courses are inexpensive and provide the instruction and training needed to provide first aid in a medical emergency.

Where There is No Doctor

If you are unable to attend this type of class rest assured there is information available to help you learn how to provide emergency medical care. The book “Where There is No Doctor” which was written to assist individuals in third world countries is available through Nitro Pak. It is very comprehensive and covers many topics. This book is written in simple language and is valuable for backpackers, rural residents who live hours away from medical facilities, parents, midwives, educators and small business owners.

Help May Not Come Quickly Enough

No one ever knows when a disaster may strike and someone might need medical care. During a large-scale emergency it may be hours or days before an emergency response team can reach you. You would be wise to be prepared to offer your survival medicine assistance to family and neighbors in such a situation.

Adventure Medical Professional Expedition First Aid Kit

Get a First Aid Kit

Commercial first aid kits generally come with instructions on how to provide basic medical care. Many include flipbook instructions that allow you to assess and provide care for head injuries, lacerations and cuts, punctures, sudden illness and simple fractures. Specialized first aid kits like suture and syringe kits, available through Nitro Pak contain the necessary items to repair large lacerations and irrigate deep wounds.

Importance of Hygiene

The most common problem you will experience during an emergency is hygiene. With the lack of safe water, contaminated water and poor sanitation, gastric problems such as diarrhea can develop quickly. Including anti-diarrhea medication in your survival medicine first aid kit and keeping Ceralyte Oral Rehydration Salts on hand will prevent a simple case of diarrhea from becoming dangerous.

Disease Prevention

Hand sanitizers need to provide at least 99% effective germicide to be useful. Even then proper hand washing is important. Water purification tablets or a portable water filtration unit like one of the many available through Nitro Pak, will allow you to make safe drinking water and water for washing your hands. This alone will prevent many topical infections, infectious diseases such as the common cold and flu.

The Original by NASA

Shelter

Staying healthy during and emergency may be difficult. You may find yourself without shelter in a wet or cold environment. Space blankets will help you retain body heat and can be used in a number of ways. Use them as a ground cover under an injured person and as a blanket over the injured person; they will stay warm. Space blankets can also provide temporary shelter and rain or shade from the sun. Keeping a handful of these inexpensive and lightweight blankets in your first aid kit is a practical idea. Their reflective surface will also alert emergency response teams to your location.

Taking the time to learn survival medicine skills before they are needed may save a life. That life might be your own or the life of someone you love.