The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way Revised & enlarged Edition

Within the last 30 years, after working in the health field as a medical professional and obtaining a copy of the first edition of this very helpful guide, this book is outstanding in every aspect as a valuable reference to emergency situations, where no other help is available. Although I have collected hundreds of books that cover this topic, I felt this one is extremely useful for my daughter to have in her home. This handbook outlines several conditions for one to identify with as it offers step-by-step instructions, with solutions for unexpected health problems. This informative guide also prepares for any disaster, where help is not on the way. It is specifically designed for the non-medical professional to help deal and cope with unexpected issues during emergencies. Some of the topics covered are fractures, nosebleed, chest pain, and much more. Dr. Joseph Alton highlights several medical conditions, covering over 100 medical issues. In addition, he provides information on how to handle different situations, what to look for, and how to treat. This is a valuable, essential reference book for every home. Highly recommended!

My husband and I live on a farm. Our purpose in doing so was to leave all the trappings of the corporate America lifestyle. With nothing but optimism, we gladly gave up the old lifestyle in favor of the new one. We didn't kid ourselves; we knew it wouldn't be a piece of cake, but we were ready to put in the work. What was the one thing we hadn't considered living deep in the backwoods? Emergency medicine. Our farm is at the top of a mountain and we fall all the time. Most falls result in bruises and nothing more. Twice, however, my falls have required stitches. What if... We often ask ourselves what if questions. What if my husband hadn't been there and I couldn't drive myself to the emergency room? What if he were home and the roads were blocked, which happens in the boonies all the time--especially after a major thunderstorm or a tropical storm/hurricane? We bought The Survival Medicine Handbook both on Kindle (for tips on what to stock up on and to educate ourselves) and the printed version for emergencies. I can't recommend this book more highly. It is really jam packed with extremely valuable information--both for the emergency and for preparing ourselves in the event of one. Every family should have one. Whether you live in the city, the suburbs or in the backwoods, you don't know when access to a hospital will be hindered. It's truly a must have!

1. If you think reading this book is going to make you an MD; It's not.2. If you are adding this to your general knowledge of how to deal with common health and possible life savingscenarios, in a grid down environment or even while in a remote camping location. It helps, (if the time comes,who else, in your group, has taken the time to learn how to heal?)3. This book contains a wide range of potential medical issues that one may have to encounter in a grid downscenario, (or just camping), while being the only person to address those issues. ( there may be issues that youare not willing or are able to address). But it gives the fundamentals.4. This book is a GREAT starting place for people who want to know more about basic survival medical treatment.5. If you buy this book, It provides you with a wealth of knowledge to build on.

Pros:The writing style is clear and easy to read. And the treatments are written from the perspective of hospitals and advanced equipment not being available, which is what I'm looking for.Cons:The sections on the most common types of injuries (cuts, puncture wounds, infections, burns, food poisoning, etc) are too short. There's only so much space but...The book spends too much time in my opinion on non-medical information, such as "how to protect a house from a forest fire" and stuff like that.I think too much time is also spent on alternative remedies (eg. essential oils). I would guess that 1/3 of each treatments section is devoted to these. While I wouldn't mind a chapter or 2 listing alternative remedies that you might try if you don't have the standard medication (this is for the collapse after all). In my opinion there isn't enough scientific evidence for these treatments to spend so much time on them. They also often take the form of "here's a list of 10 essential oils that might help", and I'm sorry but that's just too vague.Some useful information is missing. I'm not a medical expert, but I've had a few ailments over the years which I've read up on specifically, and when the book addressed these I felt like it skipped over a lot of useful info. For example, the section on heartburn doesn't include the fact that your stomach opens on the right, so laying on your left side can alleviate it. Or when lice treatments are discussed, they mention that the active ingredient is permethrin, but they don't mention that this is a commonly available pesticide. These are just a few examples.I know the Authors needed to include a warning not to attempt these procedures if a real hospital is available. But I would have preferred that to be just in one place, instead of sprinkled throughout. Like yes obviously you should not pull someones teeth if there are real dentists around. Perhaps there could have been a chapter outlining what to do differently if a hospital *is* available.One last thing. I think sometimes the level of technology you're assumed to have is *too* low. Lack of electricity is often assumed, as well as lack of almost all electronic equipment. I think this is a bit too pessimistic. Even with the grid down, generators, solar, etc could be used. And equipment like EKGs and other vital monitors could be obtained cheaply from china (for preparedness, not after a collapse obviously). It might even be possible to scavenge some of that stuff, who knows?Overall I'd say this reference isn't bad, but it could be better. I bought the "FM 4-25.11 First Aid: Army First Aid Field Manual" as well, and this is much better than that in most ways. There are a few typos and formatting errors, which although not a big deal, indicate to me that the content wasn't heavily scrutinized.

Essential reference book, but read it first and keep it forever.