After a major disaster, assume that all hospitals in the area will be overwhelmed.
Every family member of age should enroll in a basic first-aid and CPR class from a nearby provider as soon as possible. Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses are also available for those who want to learn more.
The average American home is the site of millions of medical emergencies every year, many of which can be avoided by paying attention and initiating home repairs or upgrades.
Despite annual vaccinations, influenza in the U.S. kills more than 36,000 people and causes another 200,000 to enter hospitals each year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, having another flu pandemic is simply a matter of time.
One person can transmit the flu to dozens and even hundreds of other people. Use basic safe-hygiene skills, such as containing sneezes and coughs, washing hands, avoiding touching your nose, eyes, and mouth, and staying home if you are ill. Stay healthy by eating right, exercising, and keeping a positive outlook about life.
The possibilities of mass chaos during a pandemic are very real, as well as the realities of limited travel opportunities for buying needed supplies. Keep your family prepared with what they need to survive without outside assistance.
Wounds will be very common after a disaster. Ensure precautions against body fluids and bloodborne pathogens and stop the bleeding, clean the wound, and dress with a clean or sterile dressing and bandage to minimize infection.
Any wound can become infected. Common signs of infection are redness, swelling, increased pain and tenderness, pus, swollen lymph nodes, elevated temperature, and chills and fever for advanced infections.
Infected, pus-filled wounds must be allowed to drain and should not be allowed to reseal when the infection is still present. Soak the wound in warm, disinfected water four times per day for twenty to thirty minutes, as the warm water helps in the healing process. After soaking, carefully dry the affected area and change the dressings as often as required to keep them clean and dry. Over-the-counter pain medications can be given if needed.
Burns will be very common as people use their disaster supplies. STOP the burning, clean the burn of all debris, keep it clean, and prevent blisters from rupturing. Cover the burn with a thin layer of antibiotic ointment and then a clean or sterile nonstick dressing and bandage. Give over-the-counter ibuprofen for the pain. Burn victims will be dehydrated and should be encouraged to drink extra water.
People with severe burns require large amounts of fluids to survive, which must usually be given intravenously.
All serious burns will need advanced medical care as soon as possible!
