Tag Archive: pandemic

August 20th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

First Case of H7N9 Human To Human Transmission Reported: Scientists Warn Of Pandemic Potential

There are numerous scenarios that we can discuss in the context of civilization ending events. These include exo-planetary events like asteroid collisions and X-class solar flares, as well as earth bound threats like nuclear war and viral contagion (naturally occurring or weaponized). They are outliers to be sure, but history proves that they can (and will) happen. And when they do, all hell breaks loose. The possibility of an out of control viral contagion spreading to all corners of the earth and wiping out large population centers is becoming more and more probable.

There are various viruses out there that we know  will kill millions of we don’t keep them locked away in Bio Safety Level 4 containment labs. Then there are those that are seemingly benign… until they mutate.

That’s what’s happening with the H7N9 virus, first identified in China earlier this year. We warned our readers several months ago that there was a serious potential for human to human transmission after the virus reportedly went airborne. Though those reports came directly from Chinese researchers, not many people considered the threat significant, perhaps because the assessment originated in non-western medical facilities.

Now, western researchers at The British Medical Journal have provided confirmation of this, and scientists are warning that the spread of the virus could continue.

For all we know it has already made its way to North America. Keep an eye on this one and be aware of potential flu outbreaks in your city or region.

By the time government emergency agencies issue alerts it’ll be too late to contain, so have a pandemic preparedness plan in place and be ready to activate it if you suspect something has gone terribly wrong.


Via: The Daily Sheeple


Photo: BMJ (British Medical Journal)

The British Medical Journal is reporting today that a 32 year old woman became infected with H7N9, caught while caring for her father. Both have since died. This is the first confirmed case of human to human transmission of the disease.

Prior to this case,there was no evidence to confirm contact spread, and it was thought to be caught only from contact with diseased birds. So far there have been 133 cases of H7N9 and 43 deaths, all of them in Eastern China.

Tests have shown that the strain of virus taken from the father and daughter were genetically almost identical, and the family has confirmed that the woman had no contact with poultry at all in the six weeks before she fell ill.

Dr James Rudge, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that limited transmission between humans is not surprising and has been seen before in other bird flu viruses, such as H5N1.

“Our findings reinforce that the novel virus possesses the potential for pandemic spread,” 

He added: “It would be a worry if we start to see longer chains of transmission between people, when one person infects someone else, who in turn infects more people, and so on.

And particularly if each infected case goes on to infect, on average, more than one other person, this would be a strong warning sign that we might be in the early stages of an epidemic.” (source)

So far the virus has not appeared outside of China but the odds are it will. Much of eastern China is given over to agriculture and smallholder farming. Many of the residents do not travel further than the markets and the surrounding villages.

Viruses constantly mutate and this virus is no different. It’s prime objective is survival and that is why they mutate so readily, to ensure their survival. According to the British Medical Journal report the H7N9 virus can be in the body several days before symptoms show up. Even then someone with the virus will not realize how sick they are for a couple of days, often longer.

It’s this that gives rise to the pandemic potential of the virus. Once it makes it to a major metropolitan area, where commerce and business call for national and  for international travel the chances of it ‘escaping’ China rise dramatically.


Contributed by Chris Carrington of The Daily Sheeple. Follow the Daily Sheeple on Facebook.

Chris Carrington is a writer, researcher and lecturer with a background in science, technology and environmental studies. Wake the flock up!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: shtfplan


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June 9th, 2013
post by policysup | | 1

Syria Ravaged By Outbreaks of Disease: Typhoid, Cholera, Measles and Tuberculosis

The World Health Organization is warning of an increased risk of disease epidemics in Syria and neighboring countries as summer approaches.

The WHO says outbreaks of diseases carried in water – specifically hepatitis, typhoid, cholera and dysentery – are inevitable, given the severe disruption to Syria’s health system.

Cases of diarrhea and hepatitis-A have more than doubled since January.

There have also been outbreaks of measles and typhoid.

According to the WHO, at least 35% of the country’s public hospitals are out of service, and in some areas, up to 70% of the health workforce has fled.

Almost 4.25 million Syrians who have had to leave their homes are living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, with concerns about the provision of safe drinking water and safe sanitation.

“All the risk factors that enhance the transmission of communicable diseases in emergencies are present in the current crisis in Syria and its neighboring countries,” said Dr Jaouad Mahjour, director of the department for communicable diseases at the WHO’s regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean. We are anticipating a number of public health risks from water-borne diseases, specifically hepatitis, typhoid, cholera and dysentery. Given the scale of population movement both inside Syria and across borders, together with deteriorating environmental health conditions, outbreaks are inevitable.”

The WHO says cases of measles have reappeared in Syria, due to problems running national vaccination campaigns.

The number of confirmed cases of measles in the first quarter of 2013 reached 139, compared with no cases in the whole of 2010 and 2011, says the WHO.

There have also been reports of measles, tuberculosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis – a disease carried by insects – among displaced Syrians in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

“Jordan had previously reported zero cases of measles for three years, and was planning to officially declare that it was measles-free,” said Dr Mahjour. The situation will deteriorate if prevention and control measures are not scaled up soon.”

Medical facilities are often actually targeted during conflict as a way of depriving the enemy of medical assistance. Inevitably this hits civilians even harder than the military who are far more mobile and often have doctors in their ranks.

ANY collapse situation, natural or man made leads to the kind of problems Syria is now facing. Katrina, Haiti and the Indonesian quake were all followed by outbreaks of disease, as were the Kosovo and Bosnia conflicts.

Via: The Daily Sheeple

 


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June 2nd, 2013
post by policysup | | 2

Pandemic Preparedness

Let’s cut to the chase, it is very difficult to prepare for epidemics and pandemics especially for those living in close proximity to others.

These natural reoccuring disasters tend to occur suddenly and without warning. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), serious, deadly contagious disease outbreaks can and do happen. CDC investigates new contagious diseases—averaging one new contagion per year. These new contagious diseases can emerge right here or only a plane-ride away from here. It’s not just new diseases that threaten the United States. Some diseases long thought controlled in the United States, like tuberculosis, can reemerge and be more deadly than ever.

Looking back at the Black Plague, those living in high populated areas were hit hardest by this pandemic.  The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe’s population. Given our vast array of transportation systems, modern society causes infectious disease to spread far more rapidly compared to any other time in recorded history; and because pandemics are fast moving, vaccinations would be useless.  Further, in regards to the world’s transportation system, the morbidity rate in a future pandemic could result in millions seeking medical care at the same time thus overwhelming hospitals and emergency departments.

Many believe the misuse of antibiotics in the past has led to the dangers of super bugs such as the spread of MRSA — or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In fact, nearly all significant bacterial infections in the world are becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics. If antibiotics are used too often for things they cannot treat such as viral infections, they become less effective against the bacteria they’re intended to treat. Further, not taking antibiotics exactly as prescribed also leads to problems. For example, if you do not take the full course of prescribed antibiotics, it does your body more harm than good because the antibiotic may wipe out some but not all of the bacteria. The surviving bacteria become more resistant and can be spread to other people. When bacteria become resistant to first line treatments, the risk of complications and death is increased.

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of pandemic preparedness, let’s look at the changes that will likely occur in your community if this disaster were to occur:

  • Challenges or shut downs of business commerce
  • Breakdown of our basic infrastructure: communications, mass transportation, supply chains
  • Payroll service interruptions
  • Staffing shortages in hospitals and medical clinics
  • Interruptions in public facilities – Schools, workplaces may close, and public gatherings such as sporting events or worship services may close temporarily.

When an outbreak occurs, many will remain in a state of denial about any approaching epidemics. Simply put, most people believe themselves to be invincible to negative situations and do not like the idea change of any kind. They will remain in this state until they realize they are unable to deny it to themselves any longer. Being prepared before the mass come out of their daze will ensure that you are better prepared before the hordes run to the store to stock up.

Community Preparedness Will Play a Large Role

Preventing the transmission of an illness rests in the hands of not only the individual, but the community as well. Proper planning and prevention plays a very large role in preparing for a pandemic. There is a lot to be said for preventative measures.

As a whole, communities should take the necessary steps to be prepared for potential challenges before a threat exists. Understand that areas where there are large congregation areas i.e., malls, schools, airports, grocery stores  also pose a hazard to spreading the epidemic more quickly. Breakdowns in communications, supply chains, payroll service issues, and healthcare staff shortages should be anticipated when preparing for a pandemic. To assist communities planning for a pandemic, the Federal Government has developed a Pandemic Severity Index. This index assists the government in gauging the severity of the epidemic based upon the amount of fatalities. If the government sees fit, they can activate pandemic mitigation measures. Some of these measures include the following:

  1. Isolation and treatment (as appropriate) with influenza antiviral medications of all persons with confirmed or probable pandemic influenza.  Isolation may occur in the home or healthcare setting, depending on the severity of the individual’s illness and/or the current capacity of the healthcare infrastructure.
  2. Voluntary home quarantine of members of households with confirmed or probable influenza case(s) and consideration of combining this intervention with the prophylactic use of antiviral medications, providing sufficient quantities of effective medications exist and that a feasible means of distributing them is in place.
  3. Dismissal of students from schools (including public and private schools as well as colleges and universities) and school-based activities and closure of childcare programs, coupled with protecting children and teenagers through social distancing in the community to achieve reductions of out-of-school social contacts and community mixing.
  4. Use of social distancing measures to reduce contact between adults in the community and workplace, including, for example, cancellation of large public gatherings and alteration of workplace environments and schedules to decrease social density and preserve a healthy workplace to the greatest extent possible without disrupting essential services.  Enable institution of workplace leave policies that align incentives and facilitate adherence with the nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) outlined above.

Source

My largest concern with pandemics is that supplies would be quickly exhausted leaving many unprepared to handle the ordeal. This unpreparedenss will only fuel a more chaotic situation. These concerns are not new to most governments and steps have been taken  to ensure communities are prepared and are able to contain most epidemics. To view the U.S. government’s protocols for pandemic preparedness, click here.

One precaution the government may consider is a social distancing strategy or voluntary/involuntary home quarantine. If this occurs, the responsibility falls on our shoulders to ensure that we are able meet our needs. However, this is not anything new to a prepper. We believe in being self-reliant, and if you have followed this great 52-Weeks to Preparedness series, you should well be on your way to handle such a disaster.

Individual Prevention Starts At Home

So how does the average person properly prepare for this type of emergency? Similar to other emergencies, we simply prepare as much as we can because any steps taken toward preparedness are better than none at all.

In the event of a pandemic, because of anticipated shortages of health care professionals and widespread implementation of social distancing techniques, it is expected that the large majority of individuals infected with the pandemic illness will be cared for in the home by family members, friends, and other members of the community – not by trained health care professionals.  Bear in mind that persons who are more prone to contracting illnesses includes people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions.

So what can you do to be ready for a pandemic outbreak?

  • Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand.
  • Have a supply of face masks to wear around those who may be ill or exposed to the illness.
  • Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
    Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, and vitamins.
  • Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
  • Prepare a sick room for the home to limit family member’s exposure to the virus.

To decrease the chances of the virus spreading and infecting other household members as well as members of your community, it is important that every effort be made to limit exposure to the illness.  Some considerations on how to prevent exposure to a pandemic outbreak are:

  1. Avoid close contact with those who are ill.
  2. Stay inside and avoid contact with others.
  3. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes during any pandemic.
  4. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
  5. Keep your hands clean. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub or make your own natural hand sanitizer.
    Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
  6. If you are ill, stay indoors or keep your distance from others.
  7. Keeping your immune systems up by getting lots of sleep, having a good diet and taking antioxidants in protecting your health.

Pandemic outbreaks are fast moving and vaccines may not be able to stop it. This natural occurring disaster is not one you should take likely. Several overarching themes emerge from the discussion of pandemic preparedness. Not only are our bodies under attack, but our way of life is as well. Community and individual preparation are critical in regards to prevention.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: readynutrition

 


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June 1st, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

The Unprepared Population: Don’t be part of this Statistic

I have suggested to readers that setting aside 10% of your monthly budget and using it for emergency preparation is an advantageous investment for your future well being.  Many have remarked that with the economy on the down slope, they simply cannot afford to use a portion of their budgets towards preparations.  My response back to them is, “Can you afford not to be prepared?

FEMA Wants Every Home To Have 2 Weeks’ Worth of Food

As a whole, most of the population is not prepared for an unforeseen disaster. Many emergency websites such as FEMA has stressed how important it is to be prepared.  Specifically, FEMA  has suggested that each family should have at a minimum of a three day supply of food, but should not limit it to that amount. In fact, they go on to suggest each household have a two week supply as well.  Statistics state that the average family household has only 3 days‘ worth of food in their homes. With that knowledge in hand, it is safe to say that most of the population is ill equipped to handle an unforeseen extended emergency, and the result is a formula for epic disaster.

Simply put, when human beings basic needs are not met, their once passive natures dissolves and a more aggressive side replaces it. When an entire population’s needs are not being met, what do you think will happen? 4 words – complete and utter pandemonium. The unspoken truth is there is simply not enough food in the stores to supply a large population all at once. As a result, many families will go without food and chaos will ensue.

Point and fact, many who live in areas where extreme weather occurs knows that when a storm is imminent, there is a mass rush to the stores to stock up on supplies. Some people are able to buy a surplus of goods (if they get to the stores in time), and some people get there too late and walk home empty handed. The supply of food has run out because everyone is buying the same types of foods. Foods such as basic food pantry, canned goods, bread, condiments, water, batteries, flashlights, emergency supplies, etc. Having these supplies at home will eliminate the stress of fighting the hoards in the stores.

Preparing Provides Peace of Mind

Accumulating an emergency food supply can be acheived even on the most modest of budgets. This author bought a 6 month food supply for 1 person with $115. If this amount is too much for your budget, try breaking up the emergency food list up into different categories such as breakfast foods, grains, water, baking needs, etc. Another method is bargain shopping. Go to the Dollar stores in your area and see what canned goods or boxed dinners are available. Other preparedness items such as batteries, flashlights and duct tape may also be available. Each time a person goes to the store, they can buy a portion of their food supply and store it away for later use. In a matter of a few weeks to 1 months’ time, a modest amount of food has been stored.  To find how much food a family needs, many preppers use this food storage calculator.  Although, many of our budgets are dwindling due to the bad economy, there are ways of stretching your budget and changing your lifestyle in order to prepare.

Being prepared can put a person way ahead of the game. While many who are unprepared for disasters will be battling the lines at the grocery stores, those that have prepared can concentrate on other matters at hand: their families well-being.

Via: readynutrition

 


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May 29th, 2013
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World Health Organization: Virus “a threat to the entire world”

On 5/28/13 CNN provided the first mainstream reporting on the deadly MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) and it’s 50%+ kill rate.

This is the same virus AlertsUSA warned subscribers of more than TWO WEEKS AGO via a text message to their mobile devices, followed the next day by a more detailed threat update via email.


Read that threat update HERE.

In light of both of these stories it is fair to say that there are deadly public health threats now facing you and your family. It is important that you take precautionary steps NOW….as opposed to waiting for the likely panic reaction by the general public if H7N9 or MERS-CoV manifest into pandemic-scale outbreaks.

CDC Preparing for H7N9 Pandemic
May 25, 2013
What You Need to Know
It was revealed late this week by researchers at the University of Hong Kong that the H7N9 bird flu virus which has infected 131 people (and killed 36) can be transmitted not only by close contact but by airborne exposure. Their study, published this week in the journal Science, indicates ferrets were passing the virus cage to cage. Additionally, inoculated ferrets were infected before the appearance of most clinical symptoms, demonstrating there may be more cases than have been detected or reported.

Additionally, tests were conducted using pigs, a major host of influenza viruses. These tests also definitively showed that they could also get infected with H7N9, leading to the belief that H7N9 may combine with pig viruses to generate new variants.

A particularly important, though unreported aspect of the entire H7N9 topic is that severe cases are reported to be hemmoraghic. What this means is that those infected could experience, among a myriad of other symptoms, excessive internal bleeding, liver or kidney failure similar to dengue, tick-borne encephalitis and Ebola.

Readers are reminded that while reported infection numbers are still relatively low, H7N9 clearly has world health authorities seriously spooked. So much so, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC this week published a 1 BILLION dollar cost plus Federal Solicitation for the purposes of emergency experimentation with H7N9 Flu vaccines and emergency experimental antiviral treatments.

The Solicitation specifically references “preparation for a possible large scale national H7N9 influenza vaccination program.”

Earlier this month, the CDC issued a presolicitation announcement of their intended $600 million dollar acquisition of 512 million syringes, alcohol prep pads and other related products necessary to meet the vaccine administration needs of the American public during a pandemic influenza event.

Further still, the CDC is considering using the two oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants in its stockpile with an H7N9 vaccine in order to increase effectiveness. Of particular note here is that the CDC has never before allowed the use of adjuvants in either the seasonal or pandemic influenza vaccines as their use has been tied to onset of Narcolepsy, as was the case with their H1N1 vaccine.

And something you can be assured of is that if a nationwide H7N9 vaccination program is implemented, this will no doubt be made mandatory for school-aged children given the close proximity of students in a school setting.

Official Findings:

“Human infections with a new avian influenza A (H7N9) virus continue to be reported in China. The virus has been detected in poultry in China as well. While mild illness in human cases has been seen, most patients have had severe respiratory illness and some people have died.” (See This)

“On April 19, 2013, HHS Secretary Sebelius determined there is significant potential for a Public Health Emergency related to Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus.” (See This)

Risk Countermeasures:

While it is impossible to predict if H7N9 will progress to a pandemic state, the authorities are clearly more than a little worried about this possibility. This should be a strong indicator to you, the individual, to pay attention and to take a few preparatory steps of your own BEFORE a panic starts.

Below we suggest 3 risk countermeasures to help you shore up your preparedness for such and event.

It is important to keep in mind the CDC’s findings and actions. The mere fact that health authorities are making public declarations of this kind and throwing tremendous financial resources into preparing for a possible H7N9 pandemic should speak volumes to readers.

DO NOT WAIT until the problem shows up to make a few reparations of your own. In the event a severe Influenza pandemic, products will be SOLD OUT fast.

1. Medical Grade Skin Cleanser

In principle, influenza viruses can be transmitted by 3 routes: aerosols, large droplets, and direct contact with infected surfaces or secretions. One of the best risk mitigation steps you can take is to acquire a medical grade skin cleanser, as well as surface cleanser.

Of these, one of the gold standards in hospitals and other clinical settings is Chlorhexidine Gluconate, which is sold under the product name HIBICLENS.

The product is intended for use as a surgical scrub, as a health-care personnel hand wash, a patient pre-operative skin preparation and a skin wound cleanser. The antimicrobial cleaner bonds to the skin to create a persistent antimicrobial effect and protective germ-killing field against a wide range of microorganisms.

The link below leads to an assortment of HIBICLENS products on Amazon.

 

2. N95 Surgical / Filtration Masks

Another wise risk countermeasure useful for reducing infection would be to acquire a supply of N95 surgical masks. These are (currently) inexpensive and an excellent addition to preparedness supplies. There are an abundance of scholarly studies demonstrating the effectiveness of N95 filters in reducing the spread of influenza viruses.

The link below leads to an assortment of N95 masks on Amazon.

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May 27th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Pandemic (BBC Documentary)

 

A simple virus brewed in the belly of a dead bird is set to embark on a global killing spree. The likely culprit is H5N1 – a bird flu virus with the dangerous potential to mutate into the next pandemic flu virus.

In a feature-length special, we tell the story of what could happen if a flu pandemic hits. Experts predict the next pandemic will be more disruptive than any disease we’ve seen before. And they’re particularly worried that it will be most deadly for the young and otherwise healthy.

The last flu pandemic in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Nowadays, with extensive global travel and movement, the virus will be able to spread even more easily. The estimates are that hundreds of millions could be infected and potentially die.

 


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May 24th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

SURVIVAL ANTIBIOTICS-2

Illnesses caused by viruses usually run their course in 7-10 days. Illnesses caused by bacteria can sometimes be fought off by the body for the most part if not treated with antibiotics they just get worse and can result in death.

Antibiotics are not like pain killers. You cannot just pick your favorite brand. The bugs that antibiotics fight are different. Intestinal diarrhea bacteria are much different from throat, sinus and ear infection bacteria. You have to match the antibiotic with the bug you are fighting. Additionally, some people are allergic to some antibiotics especially the penicillin family. Finally, if you take antibiotics when they are not needed, say for a cold, or if you don’t take them correctly or for the full length of time prescribed, you can help produce antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The FDA and the medical profession control the dispensing of antibiotics through prescriptions. In some countries like Canada and Mexico, you can buy antibiotics over the counter without a prescription. I feel everyone needs to store antibiotics for SHTF scenarios. The questions are “What do I store?”, “Where do I get it?”, “How do I use it?”, and “How do I store it?”

I am not a doctor. My medical background is 3 years as a Med-Tech in the US Army, 1 year of which was spent in a microbiology lab working with some very nasty bacteria, and a life of helping to raise kids that had more than their share of aches, pains and ills. I am not giving medical advice. I am only giving you my opinion based on my personal experience and study. If you need medical advice, seek out the help of a licensed medical professional.

What do I Store?
Everyone has an opinion on this and I will give you some references to study this on your own. Everyone is a little different. Different bugs hit different areas of the country. Kids cannot take some antibiotics that adults can take. Some antibiotics are inexpensive and some cost a bunch. Some antibiotics are easy to obtain and some are hard to get a hold of. I am going to give you a list of the antibiotics that I store and tell you why.

First some references:

Cynthia J. Koelker, MD
http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/02/seven_antibiotics_to_stockpile.html
Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, Cipro, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Metronidazole, SMZ-TMP

The Patriot Nurse

Zithromax, Ampicillin, Cipro, Amoxicillin, Doxycycline

Dr. Bob
http://www.survivinghealthy.com/?page_id=100
Basic – Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, Cephalexin, Sulfa
Penicillin Allergy – Doxycycline, Sulfa, Cefdinir, Cipro

As you can see there is a variety of opinions. So I’ll add one more list to the mix. This is based on my family’s needs. We have no young children or infants and we have one family member that is allergic to some penicillin family drugs. I am giving the generic names since these are cheapest and in the US are just as effective.

Azithromycin – Treats middle ear infections, Upper Respiratory Infections (strep throat, sinusitist), Lower Respiratory Infections (pneumonia, bronchitis) Mycoplasmal Infection (walking pneumonia), Typhoid, Syphilis, PID, Chlamydia, Traveler’s Diarrhea, Lyme Disease and other infections. Azithromycin is derived from Erythromycin but is more effective against some bacteria.

Most common side effects are gastrointestinal: diarrhea (5%), nausea (3%), abdominal pain (3%), and vomiting. Fewer than 1% of patients stop taking the drug due to side effects.

I like Azithromycin because it is a broad spectrum antibiotic and it is not in the penicillin family so you don’t have to worry about the penicillin allergic reactions. It is more effective than many older antibiotics and as of yet, bacteria has not shown much resistance to it. A point against Azithromycin is that it is more expensive than other antibiotics. If cost is a concern Cephalexin and Erythromycin cover pretty much the same bacteria spectrum.

Cephalexin – Treats middle ear infections, Upper Respiratory Infections (strep throat, sinusitist), Lower Respiratory Infections (pneumonia, bronchitis) Bone and Joint Infections, Skin Infections (except MRSA) and Urinary Tract Infections, and other infections.

Cephalexin is well-tolerated in children and is safe in pregnant women. Most common side effects are gastrointestinal upset such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and abdominal pain.

Ciprofloxacin – Treats Urinary Tract Infection, Prostate Infections, Respiratory Tract Infections (Pneumonia, Bronchitis), Bacterial Diarrhea, Mycoplasmal Infection (walking pneumonia), Gonorrhea, Diverticulitis (in combination with Metronidazole), Anthrax, and other infections.

Ciprofloxacin should not be used by children, pregnant or nursing women or patients with epilepsy or other seizure disorders.

Doxycycline – Treats Respiratory infections, Sinus Infection, Mycoplasmal Infection (walking pneumonia), , Syphilis, PID, Chlamydia, Prostate Infections, Typhus, Lyme Disease, Malaria and other infections.

Doxycycline should not be used by children, pregnant or nursing women. Side effects can include Skin Sensitivity to the sun, Renal Impairment, and impaired effectiveness of birth control.

Close Runners Up

Amoxicillin – Treats middle ear infections, Upper Respiratory Infections (strep throat, sinusitist), Lower Respiratory Infections (pneumonia, bronchitis) Mycoplasmal Infection (walking pneumonia) and other infections. Erythromycin is also used before dental work to prevent infection.

It is safe for children and pregnant women. It is well-tolerated, causing few side effects.

So why don’t I include it with my main stores? Some people are severely allergic to it and it has been so over used in humans and in animals that many bacteria have developed resistance to it.

Erythromycin – Treats middle ear infections, Upper Respiratory Infections (strep throat, sinusitist), Lower Respiratory Infections (pneumonia, bronchitis) Mycoplasmal Infection (walking pneumonia), Early Syphilis, Chlamydia, Lyme Disease and other infections.

Erythromycin is also used before some surgery or dental work to prevent infection. It can be safely used in children and pregnant women.

Erythromycin tends to cause the intestine to contract. Common side effects include, cramps, diarrhea and other Gastrointestinal disturbances like nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

Why don’t I include it with my main stores? If I didn’t include Azithromycin, I would include Erythromycin.

Special Cases
A couple of special cases antibiotics. If you have the money and want to add a couple of specialty antibiotics to your stores just in case you run into the unusual, here are two antibiotics to consider. If I only added one of them it would be Metronidazole.

Metronidazole – Antibiotic used particularly for anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. Treats Bacterial vaginosis, PID, Diverticulitis, Aspiration pneumonia, Lung Abscess, Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Meningitis, Brain Abscesses, Bone and Joint Infections, Septicemia, Eendometritis, and other infections. It is also effective for amoeba conditions like Trichomoniasis and Giardasis.

Metronidazole should not be used to treat children. Common side effects include diarrhea and nausea and metallic taste in the mouth.

SMZ-TMP – Contains Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim. Sulfamethoxazole is effective against some Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Infections and Urinary Tract Infections. Trimethoprim is used mainly for Urinary Tract Infections. SMZ-TMP is effective against skin and wound infections, especially treating resistant staph (MRSA).

Common side effects include painful or swollen tongue, dizziness, spinning sensation, ringing in your ears, joint pain, or sleep problems (insomnia).

Where do I get it?
This might be the Sixty-Four Dollar question but I’ll try and give you some options.

Option 1 – Find a sympathetic doctor who you have a relationship with and is willing to write a prescription for you. Make sure you are knowledgeable and can explain what you want, why you want it and how you plan on using it. If you can’t talk intelligently with your doctor, they won’t feel good about writing you a prescription.

You can tell your doctor about prepping and ask for prescriptions for stores. Another possibility is to get antibiotics in preparation for a trip to a third world country. When I went to the far east, my doctor gave me a prescription for Azithromycin, Ciprofloxacin, and Doxycycline to take with me. The Azithromycin was for any upper respiratory infection I might get, the Ciprofloxacin was for any urinary tract infection I may get and the Doxycycline was for protection from Malaria. I had a great illness-free trip and put the antibiotics in storage when I returned home.

A variation on this theme is http://www.survivinghealthy.com. Dr. Bob is a real physician. He understand a prepper’s need to store antibiotics. He has 4 ready made antibiotic packs ranging from $120 to $220. You fill out a patient information form and then order your antibiotics. The antibiotics come in your name with information on their use and dosages. This is all legal and above board.

Option 2 – Visit Canada or Mexico. Both countries sell antibiotics over the counter without a prescription. You notice I said VISIT Canada or Mexico. Don’t order the antibiotics, especially from Mexico. Mail order drugs have a good chance to be nothing but placebos. Drugs bought face to face over the counter in a pharmacy will be okay.

As I understand US customs laws, you can bring 50 units (pills) per person of any antibiotic for your personal use back into the US with you. If the total cost of the pills exceeds $300 you may have to pay a customs fee.

Option 3 – This one is a grey area. From my research it appears that antibiotics made for animals (especially fish and birds) are the exact same antibiotics made for humans. The key is to ensure that the antibiotic is the only ingredient in the pill or capsule and that the dosage is the same as the human dosage. I have to add that ordering or having a controlled substance with intent to use it other than its intended purpose is against the law. Buying pet antibiotics and storing them in preparation for buying fish or birds as pets seems to be within the law. If SHTF and you had to pull out the pet antibiotics and use them in an emergency, I don’t think you would receive any grief.

Here is a list of pet antibiotics and their generic equivalents.
• FISH-MOX (amoxicillin 250mg)
• FISH_MOX FORTE (amoxicillin 500mg)
• FISH-CILLIN (ampicillin 250mg)
• FISH-MYCIN (erythromycin 250mg)
• FISH-FLEX (keflex 250mg)
• FISH-FLEX FORTE (keflex 500mg)
• FISH-ZOLE (metronidazole 250mg)
• FISH-PEN (penicillin 250mg)
• FISH-PEN FORTE (penicillin 500mg)
• FISH-CYCLINE (tetracycline 250mg)
• BIRD-BIOTIC (doxycycline 100mg)
• BIRD-SULFA (SMZ-TMP , sulfamethoxazole 400mg/trimethoprim 80mg)

You may have noticed that a pet equivalent for Azithromycin was not listed.  At this time, Azithromycin is only licensed for humans.  The other antibiotics are available at Amazon, PetMeds, ebay and lots of other places. Just do a search.  Some of the least expensive places I have found are www.countrysidepet.com, http://www.fishmoxfishflex.com, http://www.vetinternetco.com,

One last thought. If you add the cost of antibiotics using this animal antibiotics option and the cost of the antibiotics packs you can order from Dr. Bob, there is less than a 5% – 10% difference.

How Do I Use It?
The dosage and length of time to take an antibiotic varies depending on what infection you are treating. There is no way I could cover all that information in this blog. The best source is to get a copy of the “Nurses Drug Handbook”. It will provide dosage and other information. I havee even seen this is a App for iphones, ipads, etc.

If you are going to store antibiotics and other drugs you need a reference book to help you use them properly. With that said, here are a few of the most common used for each antibiotic on my list.

Azithromycin
Tablets come in doses of 250 mg and 500 mg. The 250 mg tablets are often dispensed in packages of six and commonly referred to as a “Z-Pak,” A common dose of oral azithromycin therapy consists of a “double dose” of medication on the first day of treatment and subsequent treatment for four or five additional days.

Cephalexin
Usual Adult Dose for Ear Infection – 500 mg orally every 6 hours for 10 to 14 days
Usual Adult Dose for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection – 250 to 500 mg orally every 6 hours for 7 to 10 days

Ciprofloxacin
Urinary Tract Infection (Mild/Moderate) – 250 mg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days
Urinary Tract Infection (Severe/Complicated) – 500 mg 250 mg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days
Inhalational Anthrax – 500 mg 250 mg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days

Doxycycline
Usual Adult Dose for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection – 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 7 to 10 days
Usual Adult Dose for Bronchitis – 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 7 to 10 days
Usual Adult Dose for Pneumonia – 100 mg orally or IV every 12 hours for 10 to 21 days

Erythromycin
Usual Adult Dose for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection – Mild to moderate infection: 250 to 500 mg (base, estolate, stearate) or 400 to 800 mg (ethylsuccinate) orally every 6 hours.
Usual Adult Dose for Otitis Media – Mild to moderate infection: 250 to 500 mg (base, estolate, stearate) or 400 to 800 mg (ethylsuccinate) orally every 6 hours.
Usual Adult Dose for Bronchitis – Mild to moderate infection: 250 to 500 mg (base, estolate, stearate) or 400 to 800 mg (ethylsuccinate) orally every 6 hours.

Metronidazole
Usual Adult Dose for Bacterial Vaginosis – 500 mg orally every 12 hours for 7 days
Usual Adult Dose for Amebiasis – 500 to 750 mg orally 3 times a day for 5 to 10 days

How Do I Store It?
The military conducted a series of drug shelf-life tests in conjunction with the FDA and drug companies. The drug companies participated on condition that the results would be known only to the military to aid them in stock piling drugs but the results should not be made known to the public for fear of lost revenue.

Here is a DOD news article about the tests. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=44979

Here is another article by Laurie P. Cohen, staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal. http://www.terrierman.com/antibiotics-WSJ.htm

The result of the testing was that they found out that more than 90% of medications were still effective up to 15 years after their expiration date.

Shelf-Life of drugs has a lot to do with storage conditions just like it does with food. Cool, Dry, and Dark are the optimum storage conditions. I use a reseal able paint cans from Home Depot to store my drugs. I have a gallon size for antibiotics and a quart size for pain medication. I put an oxygen absorber in with the prescription bottles and seal the lid tight. If I need to open the can to add or use some pills, I add a new oxygen absorber and reseal it. A glass jar would work just as well but make sure it is stored out of the light. (Metal and glass are the only air tight containers).
If you have a vacuum sealer you could vacuum seal the bottle of antibiotics in a bag before placing it in a paint can or glass jar.

Via: kissurvival


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May 19th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

The 4 Most Likely Ways You Can Die If the SHTF

The subject of survival in a long term disaster goes beyond having stockpiles of beans, bullets and Band-Aids. Those that do survive during a long term emergency will no doubt be tried and tested with a great many things. One of those trying scenarios is dealing with death.

Zombie attacks seem to be a prevalent theme for preppers to prepare for. In fact, the CDC has even posted a preparedness article on how to ward off zombie attacks. While I believe these zombies will likely take the form of substance abusers, mental patients, chronically ill or diseased, and desperate individuals whose basic needs have not been met, they will die out in the first few months of an onset of a  major disaster, and there presence will rarely be an issue in a long term situation.

In reality, a majority of those that will die during a long-term disaster will be from illnesses brought on by acute respiratory infections due to cramped living conditions, poor water conditions (or lack of), or bacterial infections from wounds. If we survive a major disaster, America would become a third world country and the aftermath of such a scenario will be similar to those living in Africa, Ethiopia and India.

Illness Due to Poor Water Conditions

Typically, any diseases that are brought on by lack of sanitation and hygiene are controllable and preventable. In a disaster where water sources are compromised, people within a 50 mile radius could be adversely impacted by illness and disease if just one person incorrectly handles water or incorrectly disposes of waste.  Contaminated water, poor sanitation and/or lack of hygeine leads to diseases such as Hepatitis A, viral gastroenteritis, cholera, Shigellosis, typhoid, Diphtheria and polio. If these diseases affect enough people, an epidemic will ensue.

Dehydration and diarrhea are also water-related matters to contend with. Those without adequate water conditions and/or are suffering from disease brought on by poor water conditions could quickly dehydrate. These types of illnesses typically affect at-risk populations such as children, the sick and the elderly. Young children in particular are at high risk for diarrhea and other food- and waterborne illnesses because of limited pre-existing immunity and behavioral factors such as frequent hand-to-mouth contact. The greatest risk to an infant with diarrhea and vomiting is dehydration. In addition, fever or increased ambient temperature increases fluid losses and speeds dehydration. Having knowledge beforehand on how to properly clean drinking water and food, and the symptomatology and treatment of these types of diseases can prevent further outbreaks from occurring.

Recommended preparedness items: water filtration systems, water purification tablets, chlorine granules, bleach, electrolyte or rehydration powders, anti-diarrea medicines.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition from either improper water conditions or from lack of nutrients is also a large killer amongst those in impoverished communities.  Medical experts say there is a symbiotic relationship between malnutrition and diarreah.  Malnutrition increases the severity of diarrhea while diarrhea can cause malnutrition. Either way, prevention for both of these health issues is key.

Those that are malnourished are more suseptible to illness and disease. Individuals who are malnourished will also be vitamin deficient and their health is likely to regress further. Those who survive from malnutrition are permanently affected by this disease and may suffer from recurring sickness, faltering growth, poor brain development, increased tooth decay, reduced strength and work capacity, and increased chance of chronic diseases in adulthood. Adult women with this condition will give birth to underweight babies.

Recommended preparedness items: dietary supplements, vitamin powders, seeds for sprouting or  seeds for fresh vegetables and fruits, survival bars, knowledge of alternative means to attain vitamins

Acute Respiratory Infections

Upper respiratory infections (URI) will also be a leading cause of death in a long term disaster. Upper respiratory infections include: colds, flu, sore throat, coughs and bronchitis can usually be cured with additional liquids, rest and nourishment. Allowing the illness to exacerbate will lead to secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia. The germs from pneumonia are easily spread from an infected person to others by coughing or sneezing or through close contact. A major concern about respiratory infections is that there are many drug resistant strands of viruses, bacterias and diseases (including tuberculosis), that regular medicine will not cure.  In a long term disaster situation, many could perish.

To properly prepare for this type of medical situation, learn about the more prevalent viruses and bacterias in your country and how to prevent them in order to provide a healthy living environment in a long term situation.

Not only are URI’s a concern but other air-borne diseases such as tuberculosis will likely fester during a long term scenario. In regular non-SHTF times, treatment for tuberculosis requires 6-12 months of medication.  In a long term emergency, chances of surviving tuberculosis are slim. The best way to prevent tuberculosis is adequate nutrition, vitamin D and living in a properly ventilated shelter.

Survival groups that have multiple people living under one roof will only increase the likelihood of passing air-borne infections and diseases to one another. In addition, those in an at-risk group (elderly, immuno-deficient, infants) are more likely to catch illnesses.  If a survival group is sharing a home, an infirmary or sick room should be prepared for those who have fallen ill.  Isolating the person who is ill will limit exposure to the other members of the group. Adequate nutrition, water, rest, good sanitary practices and ventilation of the home is essential in curbing this.

Recommended preparedness items: decongestants, expectorants, upper respiratory medicines, antibiotics (for secondary and bacterial infections), knowledge on medicinal herbs, prepare a sick room at your survival homestead

Infections From Wounds

Open injuries have the potential for serious bacterial wound infections, including gas gangrene and tetanus, and these in turn may lead to long term disabilities, chronic wound or bone infection, and death.  Anitibiotics will be few and far between and will be more precious than gold.  Without proper medicines, antiseptic and knowledge on proper medical procedures, many will die of bacterial infections.  Learning medical skills, gaining knowledge on natural medicines and alternative medical antiseptic (i.e., Dakin’s Solution) before a disaster occurs could help people survive from wound infections. Also, ensuring the area that you treat medical emergencies is clean and as sterile as possible may also prevent bacterial infections.

Recommended preparedness items:  stock up on maxi pads for wound absorption, gauze, celox, antibiotics, suture needles and other basic first aid supplies.

Additionally, consider developing the following skills: basic first aid class, sign up for EMT classes in your community, an off-grid medical care class such as those offered by onPoint Tactical. Also, consider investing in books such as When There is No Doctor and When There is No Dentist.

Also look into making your own antiseptics utilizing alcohol distillation, such as the custom made units from LNL Protekt.

These illnesses (provided above) have impacted countries all over the world. These illness and conditions, coupled with unsanitary living conditions such as substandard sanitation, inadequate food and water supplies and poor hygiene, make disaster-affected people especially vulnerable to disease. These illnesses will affect us no matter what part of the world we live in, what socio-economic status we currently hold, and no matter how prepared we think we are.

Understanding what can happen and being prepared when it does is absolutely essential. The last thing we want to do when a serious condition arises is to panic. Preparing your supplies, developing your skills and educating the rest of your family and preparedness group on how to prevent, identify and counteract these serious conditions will provide a significant boost to your ability to survive if the worst happens.

Via: readynutrition


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May 18th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

The Well Stocked Sick Room

To decrease the chances of an infectious illness spreading and infecting other household members, it is important that every effort be made to keep the illness in a contained area. Having a sick room in the home can achieve this, as well as assist in limiting the number of people who have close contact with the sick person.

Characteristics of the Ideal Sick Room

To ensure that the sickness is as contained as possible, set up the sick room in a bedroom or another separate room in the house. Ensure that the room has good lighting, a window that opens, and easy access to a personal bathroom with a sink and running water.

Prevention is Key

To avoid other family members falling ill, try to limit the exposure of the sick person to the other family members. This includes making sure that any communal areas (kitchen, bathroom, etc) be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant each day to avoid the transmission of germs. Towels, water bottles, drinking glasses, and other personal care items used by the sick person, should not be used by other family members.

Other preventative measures for the sick room could be made ahead of time to make the room ready before it is needed. Having all necessary items in the room will make for easy accessibility as well as containment of illness. Consider these 9 preventative measures:

  1. All tissues, utensils, equipment, bedding, and clothing in contact with the sick person should be handled as if the germs of the illness were on them. Dishes and equipment should be washed in hot soapy water or wiped with 10% bleach or other disinfectant.
  2.  Use disposable dishes when possible so they can be discarded in plastic bags in the room.
  3. Place all used tissues directly into a plastic bag that can be closed at the top before leaving the sick room. Have alcohol-based hand cleaning solution (Purell) at the bedside so the person can wash their hands after they cough or sneeze.
  4. Gently fold or roll clothing and bedding into a plastic bag, being careful not to shake them, possibly releasing the germs into the air. Clothing and bedding should be washed in hot water.
  5. Clean items in the room with a 10% bleach solution (made by combining 1 ounce of bleach with 9 ounces of water) or other disinfectant. Clean bathroom faucets and sink with 10% bleach or disinfectant wipes after the sick person has used them.
  6. Wear a raincoat or other washable gown/coat over your clothes when in the room caring for the sick person. This gown will help to protect you from getting the germs on your clothes while caring for the person. This gown should stay in the room.
  7. Wash your hands or use a alcohol-based cleaning solution (Purell) on your hands every time you leave the room. If disposable gloves are available, they can be worn while in the room but they should be removed in the room and discarded in the room, and then your hands must be washed.
  8. Limit the people in close contact (within 6 feet) of the sick person. Keep the door to the sick room closed. Have a bell or cell phone by the bedside so the person can call for assistance when needed.
  9. If respiratory masks (N95) are available, they should be worn by the sick person and the caretaker when they are in close contact.

Some items to consider when stocking a sick room are:

  • Bed with linens, pillow and blanket
  • Small wastebasket or a bucket lined with a plastic garbage bag.
  • Pitcher or large bottle for water
  • Large plastic dishpan
  • Clipboard with paper and a pen for writing in the daily log.
  • Clock
  • Hand crank or battery-powered radio
  • Good source of light
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Clothes hamper or a garbage can lined with a plastic garbage bag can be used to collect soiled clothing and bedding before they are washed.
  • A bell or a noisemaker to call for assistance.
  • Thermometer
  • Tissues
  • Hand wipes or a waterless hand sanitizer
  • Cotton balls
  • Rubbing alcohol, disinfectant or bleach
  • Plastic garbage bags
  • Measuring cup capable of holding 8 ounces or 250 ml
  • Over-the-counter medications for use in the sick room
  • Aprons or smocks (at least 2)
  • Latex household cleaning gloves (2 pairs)
  • Disposable vinyl gloves (2 boxes)
  • Garbage bags
  • N95 respirator masks (2 boxes) for use when the sick person is coughing or sneezing (can be purchased at hardware stores and some drugstores)

To prepare for longer-term scenarios, consider adding other medical supplies to the sick room. Further having some medical response packs pre-packaged cuts down on response time, and gives the caregiver more of an advantage in properly caring for the wounded. To prepare for a SHTF scenario, it would be beneficial to take into account the most likely medical situations you may come in contact with and plan accordingly.

To conclude, preventing the transmission of an illness can be done with proper planning and preparation. A little forethought will help the caregiver be as efficient as possible in treating the ill patient, and in the process, keep the rest of household as healthy as possible.

Sections of this article were adapted from the book Pandemic Home Care

Via: ReadyNutrition

 

 


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April 16th, 2013
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Survival Antibiotics

This is a great article by Dr. Bones, an M.D. and Nurse Amy, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.  They’re Preppers and Certified Master Gardeners bringing you traditional and alternative medical strategies for survival in times of trouble.

=======================

We were at the recent USA Prepares event in Missouri and many of the questions that we fielded during our time there related to the stockpiling of medicines and what each medicine was useful for in times of trouble. There isn’t a 60 second answer to this. Actually, there isn’t a 60 MINUTE answer to this, but anyone that is interested in preserving the health of their loved ones in a collapse will have to learn what antibiotics will work in a particular situation.

It’s important to start off by saying that you will not want to indiscriminately use antibiotics for every minor ailment that comes along. In a collapse, the medic is also a quartermaster of sorts; you will want to wisely dispense that limited and, yes, precious supply of life-saving drugs. Having said this, not having antibiotics in your storage will result, in a grid-down scenario, in the unnecessary deaths of members of your group to infections incurred from activities of daily survival.  An infected cut from chopping wood, for example, may travel to the circulation, causing a life-threatening condition known as “Septicemia” or “sepsis“.  In the History Channel series “After Armageddon“, this was the cause of death of an EMT due to the lack of antibiotics in the community medical storage.


            Infected Cut

Liberal use of antibiotics is a poor strategy for a few reasons:

· Overuse can foster the spread of resistant bacteria. Antibiotics routinely given to turkeys recently caused a resistant strain of Salmonella that put over 100 people in the hospital. 36 million birds were destroyed.

· Potential allergic reactions may occur that could lead to anaphylactic shock (see my recent article on this topic).

· Making a diagnosis may be more difficult if you give antibiotics before you’re sure what medical problem you’re actually dealing with. The antibiotics might temporarily “mask” a symptom, which could cost you valuable time in determining the correct treatment.

You can see that judicious use of antibiotics, under your close supervision, is necessary to fully utilize their benefits. Discourage your group members from using these drugs without first consulting you.  Remember, YOU are in charge of making these (sometime difficult) decisions to parcel out your limited medical supplies.  Use them wisely.

There are many antibiotics, but what antibiotics accessible to the average person would be good additions to your medical storage? Each antibiotic belongs to its own family and is useful for different ailments. Here are some common antibiotics (most available in veterinary form without a prescription) that you will want in your medical arsenal and their veterinary equivalent:

  • · Amoxicillin 250mg AND 500mg (FISH-MOX, FISH-MOX FORTE)
  • · Ciprofloxacin 250mg and 500mg(FISH-FLOX, FISH-FLOX FORTE)
  • · Cephalexin 250mg and 500mg (FISH-FLEX, FISH-FLEX FORTE)
  • · Metronidazole 250mg (FISH-ZOLE)
  • · Doxycycline 100mg (BIRD-BIOTIC)
  • · Ampicillin 250mg and 500mg (FISH-CILLIN, FISH-CILLIN FORTE)
  •   Clindamycin 300mg (FISH-CIN)
  • · Sulfamethoxazole 400mg/Trimethoprin 80mg (BIRD-SULFA)

There are various others that you can choose, but the selections above will give you the opportunity to treat many illnesses and have enough variety so that even those with Penicillin allergies with have options. Cephalexin, although not in the same drug family, has been quoted as having a 10% cross-reactivity rate with Penicillin.   There are many others that meet my criteria:

1)They must only be produced in human dosages, although they are “supposed” to be for fish

2)The only ingredient must be the antibiotic itself.  Nothing else that makes your scales more shiny or your fins longer

3)They must appear identical to their human equivalents when removed from the bottle

4)They must be available without a prescription

5)They must be available for purchase in bulk

This article addresses  one of the most common antibiotics available in aquatic equivalents.  Amoxicillin (Aquarium version: FISH-MOX, FISH-MOX FORTE, AQUA-MOX): comes in 250mg and 500mg doses, usually taken 3 times a day. Amoxicillin is the most popular antibiotic prescribed to children, usually in liquid form. More versatile and better absorbed than the older Pencillins, Amoxicillin may be used for the following diseases:

· Anthrax (Prevention or treatment of Cutaneous transmission)

· Chlamydia Infection (sexually transmitted)

· Urinary Tract Infection (bladder/kidney infections)

· Helicobacter pylori Infection (causes peptic ulcer)

· Lyme Disease (transmitted by ticks)

· Otitis Media (middle ear infection)

· Pneumonia (lung infection)

· Sinusitis

· Skin or Soft Tissue Infection (cellulitis, boils)

· Actinomycosis (causes abscesses in humans and livestock)

· Bronchitis

· Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis (Strep throat)

This is a lot of information, but how do you approach determining what dose and frequency would be appropriate for what individual? Let’s take an example: Otitis Media is a common ear infection, especially in children. Amoxicillin is often the “drug of choice” for this condition, although it is not necessary so for some of the above-listed illnesses.

First, you would want to determine that your patient is not allergic to Amoxicillin. The most common form of allergy would appear as a rash, but diarrhea, itchiness, and even respiratory difficulty could also manifest. If your patient is allergic, another antibiotic such as Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprin or Cephalexin could be a “second-line” solution.

Once you have identified Amoxicillin as your choice to treat your patient’s ear infection, you will want to determine the dosage. As Otitis Media often occurs in children, you might have to break a tablet in half or open the capsule to separate out a portion that would be appropriate. For Amoxicillin, you would give 20-50mg per kilogram of body weight (20-30mg/kg for infants less than four months old). This would be useful if you have to give the drug to a toddler less than 30 pounds. A common child’s dosage would be 250mg and a common maximum dosage for adults would be 500 mg. Take this orally 3 times a day for 10 to 14 days (twice a day for infants). Luckily, these dosages are exactly how the commercially-made medications come.

If your child is too small to swallow a pill whole, you could make a mixture with water (called a “suspension”). To make a liquid, crush a tablet or empty a capsule into a small glass of water and drink it; then, fill the glass again and drink that (particles may adhere to the walls of the glass). You can add some flavoring to make it more palatable. Do not chew or make a liquid out of time-released capsules of any medication, you will wind up losing some of the gradual release effect and perhaps get too much into your system at once. These medications should be plainly marked “Time-Released”.

Anytime you, as medic, place a person on a new medication or supplement, they should be carefully watched for signs of allergy. If they develop a rash, itching, diarrhea, or other untoward symptoms, you should discontinue your treatment and look for other options.

You will be probably see improvement within 3 days, but don’t be tempted to stop the antibiotic therapy until you’re done with the entire 10-14 days. Sometimes, you’ll kill most of the bacteria but some colonies may persist and multiply if you prematurely end the treatment. In a collapse, however, you might be down to your last few pills and have to make some tough decisions.

For official recommendations regarding the use of Amoxicillin to treat the other illnesses listed, consider investing in a book called the Physician’s Desk Reference. It will have all this information (and more) on just about any medication manufactured today. Listed are indications, dosages, side effects, risks, and even how the drug works in the body. Online sources such as drugs.com or rxlist.com are also useful, but you are going to want a hard copy for your library. You never know when we might not have a functioning internet.

 Dr. Bones

If you want even more in-depth info check out their book: The Survival Medicine Handbook

Via: doomandbloom


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