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Table of Contents

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

Off-grid Versus No-Grid Medical Prepping
How to Use This Book



Chapter 2: Assessment and Stabilization

Assessment and Care
Initial Assessment Survey the Scene • Check the Airway and Breathing • Check Circulation • Check Severe • Bleeding • Check the Cervical Spine Focused Assessment The Physical Exam Vital Signs Level of Responsiveness • Pulse • Respirations • Skin Signs • Blood Pressure • Temperature Medical History and Physical Examination Head • Neck • Chest • Abdomen • Back • Pelvis/HipLegs • Shoulders and Arms
Shock Difficult Respirations
Foreign Body Airway Obstruction
Adult One-Rescuer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Adult Two-Rescuer CPR
Rapid Breathing
Cardiac Evaluation and Care Heart Attack—Myocardial Infarction Rapid Heart Rate Tachycardia Slow Heart Rate Bradycardia



Chapter 3: Body System Symptoms and Management

Symptom Management Fever/Chills • Lethargy • Pain • Itch • Hiccups • Headache Eye 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 Nasal Congestion • Foreign Body Nose Injury • Nosebleed • Nose Fracture Ear Earache • Outer Ear Infection • Middle Ear Infection • Foreign Body Ear Injury • Ruptured Eardrum • Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome Mouth and Throat Sore Throat • Infectious Mononucleosis • Mouth Sores Chest Bronchitis/Pneumonia • Pneumothorax • Pulmonary Embolus Abdomen Abdominal Pain • Gall Bladder Problems and Appendicitis • Vomiting • Motion Sickness • Diarrhea • Constipation • Hemorrhoids • Hernia • Bladder Infection Reproductive Organs Venereal Diseases • Vaginal Discharge and Itching • Menstrual Problems • Spontaneous Abortion • Ectopic Pregnancy • Pregnancy • Painful Testicle Poisoning Plant or Food Poisoning • Petroleum Products Poisoning • Ciguatera Poisoning • Scombroid Poisoning • Puffer Fish Poisoning • Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Managing Diabetes Water and Waste Oral Fluid Replacement Therapy • Water Purification • Human Waste Disposal



Chapter 4: Radiation

Units of Radiation Measurement • Diagnosis and Management of Radiation Exposure and Illness



Chapter 5: Dental Care

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

The Bleeding Wound Stop the Bleeding • Clean the Wound • Antibiotic Guidelines Wound Closure Techniques Tape Closure Techniques • Stapling • Suturing Special Considerations 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 Abrasions • Puncture Wounds • Splinter Removal • Fishhook Removal • Friction Blisters • Thermal Burns • Human Bites • Animal Bites Finger and Toe Problems Ingrown Nail • Paronychia (Nail Base Infection) • Felon • Blood under the Nail Wound Infection and Inflammation Abscess • Cellulitis Skin Rash Fungal Infection • Allergic Dermatitis • Bacterial Skin Rash • Seabather’s Eruption



Chapter 7: Orthopedics–Bone and Joint Pain and Injury

Management Off the Grid Concepts of Orthopedic Care Muscle Pain—No Acute Injury • Muscle Pain—Acute Injury • Joint Pain—No Acute Injury • Joint Pain—Acute Injury • Fractures Diagnosis and Care Protocols 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 • Chest Injuries



Chapter 8: Bites and Stings

Venemous Stings Anaphylactic Shock Snake Bites Identifying Common North American Poisonous Snakes • Signs and Symptoms of Pit Viper Bite • Treatment of Pit Viper Bite • Neurotoxic Snakebites • Treatment of Coral Snakebites Insect Bites and Stings 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 Rash Sea Urchin • Jellyfish • Coral Stings • Coral and Barnacle Cuts • Stingray • Catfish • Scorpion Fish • Sponge Rash



Chapter 9: Bioterrorism and Infectious Disease

Managing Infectious Diseases in North America and Potential Off-Grid Travel Destination 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 • Histoplasmosis • Leptospirosis • Lyme Disease • Malaria • Meningococcal Meningitis • Plague • Rabies • Relapsing Fever • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever • 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 • Yellow Fever • Zika Virus



Chapter 10: Environmental Injuries

Hypothermia Chronic Hypothermia • Acute Hypothermia • Cold Water Submersion Cold-Stress Injuries
 Frost Nip • Frostbite • Cold-Induced Bronchospasm • Immersion Foot • Chilblains Heat-Stress Injuries Heat Cramps • Heat Exhaustion • Heat Stroke • Prickly Heat • Hyponatremia Lightning High Altitude Illnesses Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
 • High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)
 •
High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)



Chapter 11: The OFF-Grid Medical Kit

Alternative and Herbal Therapy Topical Bandaging Module • Non-RX Medication Module • RX Oral/Topical Medication Module • Rx Injectable Medication Module • Cardiac Medical Module Replacement Medications



Clinical Reference Index

Murray Dickson, Where There Is No Dentist. Hesperian Health Guides (2018).
William Forgey, Basic Illustrated Wilderness First Aid, 2nd edition. Falcon Guides (2016).
William Forgey, Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid, 7th edition. Falcon Guides (2017).
James Green, The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press (2010).
Cliff Jacobson, Camping’s Top Secrets, 25th anniversary edition. Falcon Guides (2013).
Jim Meuninck, Basic Illustrated Poisonous and Psychoactive Plants. Falcon Guides (2014).
Jim Meuninck, Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs, 2nd edition. Fal- con Guides (2018).
Jim Meuninck, Medicinal Plants of North America, 2nd edition. Falcon Guides (2016).
Jim Meuninck and Rebecca Meuninck, Basic Illustrated Medicinal Plants. Falcon Guides (2019).
Buck Tilton and Frank Hubbell, Medicine for the Backcountry. Globe Pequot (1999).
Buck Tilton, Wilderness First Responder, 3rd edition. Falcon Guides (2010). -



About the Author

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Image by Markus Spiske

  • Medical emergencies on or off the grid

  • Operating without supplies when grid is choked or collapsed

  • Medical alternatives and herbal therapy

  • Managing bone, joint, soft tissue and other trauma

  • Pain and fever

  • Dental emergencies

  • Bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreak

  • Environmental emergencies

  • Radiation exposure

  • Poisoning

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.

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©2020 by The Prepper's Medical Handbook.