Posted on 09/14/2012 4:31:38 PM PDT by Kartographer
As a recently-retired physician who is married to a nurse-midwife, my preparedness group looks to us as the post-TEOTWAWKI hospital and medical staff. Medical progress has been exponential and even just the last decade of scientific breakthroughs can equal a century of improvement in medical treatments, surgical techniques and pharmaceuticals. However, in the years (months?) ahead, the crumbling of the infrastructure and devolution of society in general will very likely throw us back to a medical system that existed in the 19th Century.
Let’s take an example: When the U.S. was a young nation, the average woman could expect to be pregnant 10-12 times during her reproductive lifetime (no reliable means of birth control). One out of four women would not survive the pregnancy, either from issues relating to blood loss from miscarriage or childbirth or Infection (no antibiotics) following same. A myriad of other complications occurred which are treatable today but weren’t back then. I collect old medical books, and even relatively modern obstetric textbooks devoted entire chapters on how to crush a fetus’ skull in order to expedite its removal from a critically ill mother, with instruments that clearly had no other purpose. When childbirth was successful, she could expect perhaps 3-4 of her children to survive to become adults, on average, with many minor children succumbing to simple infections that had no known effective treatment at the time.
This is the grim reality that we, in modern times, will face when the inevitable happens and current medical technology and treatments are unavailable to us.
(Excerpt) Read more at survivalblog.com ...
I can find no reference to freezing antibiotics, so I don’t know I would say that refrigerating them should help extend self life.
That’s where I keep mine.
Johnny, I can only heal the infection if I can see it.
;^)
5.56mm
In some cases its been reported that its the binder that actually expires and not the medicine itself. Much of it depends on storage conditions but 2 years beyond the labeled shelf life for these medicines should be feasible.
I’ve read that the viability of tetracycline can be tested using titration but I don’t know how to do it.
I plan to rotate the older stuff and throw it away. Although I haven’t reached the first cycle yet.
What the medicos do after that? Not my problem.
/johnny
I was a licensed EMT so that’s a skill I’ll use for bartering if the SHTF big time. I’ve got medical supplies as well as a full oxygen tank and mask. Have leg and arm splints, all that stuff.
When you take the EMT course, you have to work at an emergency room and on an ambulance for a period of time. Plus there is a state test to take. I got my license to be a first responder in my subdivision as it was in the country and it took a while for an ambulance to get there.
You can take a lesser course called an ECA (emergency care attendant) and that is less strenuous than the EMT course.
wow! Great article! rare!
Article based on the assumption of the crumble of civilization and non availability of many modern drugs.
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I can't attach a limb but I can stop bleeding with Celox unless it's an artery - don't want to think about an artery spurting blood.
If you get pregnant, I can deliver the baby....
Johnny are you pregnant? If so I’m throwing the shower!
I find that highly unlikely. Highly unlikely.
/johnny
Looks like a outfit call California Veterinary Supply has some good prices:
http://www.calvetsupply.com/category/s?keyword=antibiotic
We're going to name it Kart.
I'm hoping for puppies.
/johnny
That’s OK! I was still going to make you cater the thing!
“Johnny are you pregnant? If so I’m throwing the shower!”
I like to pull his chain sometimes - it’s fun.
I’ve purchased from them and was happy with everything. At least as much as you can be without actually taking any of the product they delivered.
From what I’ve read you actually need a few different ones. Different drugs for different problems. Dosage is a big question. I’ve also purchased a physicians desk reference and a nurses drug manual to help with that.
Where can these be purchased?
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