Survival Medicine

One of the most frequent questions I receive from readers, listeners, and viewers is which antibiotics to have on hand in survival settings. I have received a flurry of these lately in response to our new book “Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease”: The Layman’s Guide To Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings. In the book, I discuss, well, antibiotics and infectious disease: The infections to be expected in those knocked off the gird and the antibiotics obtainable by the average citizen that help prevent otherwise avoidable deaths. (NOTE: I don’t sell antibiotics nor own any part of a company that does.) Certainly, it would be great if you had the financial resources to have all of the medications we talk about in Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease, but that’s beyond the means of almost everyone. You’ll probably need to pick a limited number to stockpile, but which? Chances are, if you lined up 10 doctors, you’d get 10 different answers. Your choices would depend on the infections you’re most likely to encounter. Is it wound infections you’re concerned about, or intestinal infections like dysentery or cholera? Does someone in your group have a medical condition that makes them prone to a certain infection? Certainly, one drug doesn’t cure all. Dr. Alton gives you his opinion on what would be good choices for the average family. Also, Survival Group Medicine Handbook guru Charley Hogwood comes to the show to talk about his first post-apocalyptic fiction novel "The Unraveling", an awesome start to a great series that will give you chills and thrills! Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad.

In this episode of the Survival Medicine Hour, Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP discuss what their plans are for the garden this year, plus a review of the antibiotic cephalexin (Keflex, Fish-Flex) and its potential as a tool in the medical woodshed for long-term survival settings. Keflex is useful for various infectious diseases you might encounter off the grid. Also, Amy answers a listener question about what should be in a pediatric first aid kit, plus some important tips on what to do when your kid have some common medical problems. All this and more in the latest Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Don't forget to check out Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net!

Yesterday a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador, part of the "rim of fire" that circles the Pacific (but certainly not pacified) ocean. There's no season for earthquakes like there are for hurricanes, and you can't see an earthquake coming like you could a tornado. So how do you survive one? Joe and Amy Alton talk about strategies that will give you the best chance. Also, Dr. Joe Alton finishes his series on radiation events with a discussion of decontamination procedures, treatments for radiation sickness, and how to remove radioactive elements from drinking water. Plus, the Altons talk about their latest book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings"... Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton Check out our latest book and our entire line of kits at store.doomandbloom.net!

We don’t often get to report good news these days, but here’s something that’s making the authorities celebrate and may have saved hundreds of lives in, of all places, Australia. In a joint drug bust, Australian and u.s. agents seize record-setting 1.7 tons of meth worth $1.29 billion in Los Angeles, right at the sea port before sailing. Dr. Alton tells you how to identify Meth use and overdose. Many consider a nuclear attack an outlandish scenario to which only conspiracy theorists subscribe. Unfortunately, the threat of a nuclear incident, accidental or purposeful, always exists. Last time, we talked about the different types of nuclear weapons and the different types of radiation they emit. Today, The Altons talk about how radiation doses to the human body are measured, as well as the effects on the body at different doses. Plus: How radioactivity was discovered! 50 cases of measles were reported in the state of Washington and the legislature there is debating whether to void personal exemptions outside of medical or religious reasons. If you’re the medic and some disaster event makes you the end of the line for years, eventually all the children under your care are going to be unvaccinated, so it’s important to know it when you see it. Dr. Alton tells you what to look for. All this and more in this episode of The Survival Medicine Hour Podcast with Joe and Amy Alton! Don't forget to check out the Alton's new book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease" at Amazon, plus their entire line of medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net!

You may think that preparedness is purely an American passion but there are folks from all over the world that contact us to ask questions or tell us about their medical preps. One of these is our good friend Tom, who lives in Germany and volunteers with a first responder team. Joe Alton talks a little about his volunteer medical team and wonders why we don't have the same here. It’s been a good long time since we’ve talked about radiation exposure and nuclear detonations and other stuff that preparedness folk are concerned about. But with Russia and China getting more aggressive, the risks of a nuclear confrontation aren’t zero. In fact, the Doomsday clock put us at 2 minutes to midnight and, as they say, the clock is ticking. Most people associate use of nuclear weapons with devastating outcomes. That’s pretty reasonable. Few, however, know much about the different types and their actual effects. The Altons talk about the types of weapons, their effects, and concentrate on radiation exposure and what to do about it when it happens, and maybe prevent it. Plus, a question from Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast Expert Council about the usability and effectiveness of expired Epipens. Joe Alton MD's answer might surprise you! All this and more on the latest episode of The Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton Hey, don't forget to get a copy of the Alton's latest book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease", a book that talks all about bacterial infections and antibiotics for your medical storage that can help deal with them off the grid.  Plus, Nurse Amy's entire line of medical kits has one that's perfect for you!

In a long term survival situation, it will be an extremely fortunate family or group that has a physician or other formally trained medical professional among its members. When there is no doctor, however, someone in your group should be assigned the responsibilities of group medic. That person will make the difference between success and failure for a community that has lost access to modern medicine. Joe and Amy Alton discuss supplies, responsibilities, and other factors that go into being a successful medic for times of trouble, especially for a survival community. Also, mudslides in Peru and Brazil kill dozens, what are they and how do they differ from avalanches and floods? Special considerations and safety measures before and during a mudslide risk period are discussed in detail. All this and more in the latest Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton!

Today, we have advanced laboratory studies that allow identification of many pathogens. Despite this, it can be a challenge for healthcare providers to tell a bacterial disease from a viral one. Bacteria and virus can attack the same organ systems. For example, pneumonia can be bacterial or viral. Both produce similar symptoms like cough and fever. From a diagnosis standpoint, it can be difficult to tell the difference even in normal times. Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP discuss how to tell the difference, empirical vs definitive therapy, and some signs of specific bacterial pneumonias. It goes without saying that, as group medic, you will be responsible for the medical well-being of your survival community. But what does that mean? It means that, as well as being the Chief Medical Officer, that you will be responsible for sanitation, water disinfection, proper food preparation, and much more. Joe discusses important aspects of medic duties that may determine the failure or success of a survival group. All this and much more on the latest Survival Medicine Hour with Joe and Amy Alton! Don't forget to check out the Altons' books, DVDs, medical kits and individual supplies at store.doomandbloom.net! Their new book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings" is available at amazon.com.

This week, Winter Storm Gia, they’ve been naming them for a few years now, will spread a swath of snow and ice from parts of the Rockies, Plains and Midwest to the mid-Atlantic into this weekend, hopefully not causing more than a few travel delays. Yeah, I know, winter storms occur every year in the United States, but if you don’t take them seriously, they can cause fatalities among the unprepared. And, sadly, that’s just what they do. 70% of deaths in blizzard conditions occur due to traffic accidents and 25% from hypothermia, sometimes called exposure, from being caught outside or even inside without a heat source. With Gia’s strong winds, trees and power lines burdened with heavy snowfall may topple, causing additional hazards. If a blizzard knocks the power out, but you’re still in your home (a great place to be), you’re gonna want a strategy, a plan of action. Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, tell you what you need to know. Hypothermia and other cold-related issues must be identified and treated with quick action if you want to save a life. Dr. Alton tells you how to identify, treat, and prevent medical trauma related to exposure.  Plus, what to do on the backcountry hike when someone yells "AVALANCHE!". Ways you can protect yourself and increase your chances of surviving this catastrophic event! All this and more on the Survival Medicine Hour podcast with Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP Don't forget to check out Nurse Amy's line of medical kits and supplies at store.doomandbloom.net and our latest book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease", a guide for the layman on how to use antibiotics available to the average citizen in times of trouble, available on Amazon!

SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR PODCAST Infectious disease is of major concern in good times or bad, and the family medic must be able to identify some of the deadliest. Having just written a book on the subject, we’ve done our research on some of the worst illnesses that can occur even in countries with advanced medical systems. There are infections out there, however, that are often fatal and can’t be treated with antibiotics. These are usually viral in nature. Joe and Amy Alton discuss what you need to know about what could become the next pandemic. Cold and Flu season is usually something that occurs when it’s, well, cold, not so much from the actual loss of heat but from spending a lot of time inside with other people and breathing in their germs. But infections aren't the only risk from cold weather. In the winter, northern regions with lots of water features become vast fields of ice. Since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, you may be tempted to cross that frozen lake rather than go around it. That’s fine if the ice is thick, but there’s a risk of falling through the ice. If so, you’ll be in extremely cold water (and extremely big trouble). Find out how to survive this life-threatening mishap. Plus, a question from Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast regarding the Epipen from a parent with a child that has had anaphylactic allergic reactions. Dr. Alton explains what the options are, whether expired epipens still work, and other things you might need to know in an emergency. All that and info regarding the new book "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease" in the latest episode of the Survival Medicine Hour! Check it out at Amazon or our store at store.doomandbloom.net!   Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP

Infectious disease is of major concern in good times or bad, and the family medic must be able to identify some of the deadliest. Having just written a book about infectious diseases and the antibiotics that treat them, we’ve done our research on some of the worst illnesses that can occur even in countries with advanced medical systems. There are infections out there, however, that are often fatal and can’t be treated with antibiotics. These are usually viral in nature. Viruses are microscopic pathogens that, unlike most bacteria, can reproduce only inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses are very simple entities that rarely consist of much more than a bit of genetic code covered by a protein coat (a “capsid”). Joe and Amy Alton talk about some of the deadliest viruses on the planet, you've heard of some and not of others. Find out how to identify some of the diseases that may become the next big pandemic! All this and more on the Survival Medicine hour with Joe and Amy Alton Don't forget to get a copy of the Altons' new book: "Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Guide to Available Antibiotics in Austere Settings" now available at Amazon along with the award-winning guide "The Survival Medicine Handbook"'s third edition. For autographed copies, go to store.doomandbloom.net, where you'll find an entire line of medical kits and supplies as well! Wishing you the best of health in good times or bad, Joe and Amy Alton