Numerous noteworthy topics in the medical ideas file have been waiting for their 3 minutes of fame, some for a couple of years. Unfortunately for all of them, I can’t possibly stretch them out into full articles. And that’s fortunate for you, because standalone blog posts on them would be really boring.
Another Usage for Blacklights
Among the diverse uses for a blacklight, we can add impetigo. I have no official source for that. I suppose I could look one up. But I saw it myself. Buttercup took little Tiger in to the pediatrician because of a skin issue. The doctor diagnosed it as impetigo right away and flashed a blacklight on it to confirm. Impetigo shows up as yellow-green specks under the blacklight.
Puppy Training Pads
I still think I’ve already mentioned this somewhere, but I couldn’t find it. I buy these whenever I see them at garage sales or thrift stores. Why? While not sterile, they do provide a nice, clean surface for laying out instruments and supplies when working on a patient.
How Much Is a Dropperful?
Sometimes a person is advised to take one or two dropperfuls of a tincture. When I’m administering the tincture, I always want to fill the dropper. Does it not say “dropperful” for a reason? To fill the dropper? So apparently, that’s not the case. If you’re drawing from a tincture bottle, no matter how large or small it is, the bulb (the part you squeeze) is the same size. (Honestly, I never noticed.) And the bulb is what governs how much tincture is drawn into the glass tube of the dropper. It has nothing to do with the length of the dropper.
Another Use for Duct Tape
For stabilizing broken bones and sprains I’ve seen recommendations to use plaster of Paris. I suppose that would be a good choice if advanced medical care is ultimately available, but if not? How will you cut the cast off? SAM splints are most widely recommended. And if the splints are all in use? Use duct tape. If toilet paper is not a precious commodity, wrap it around the body part to be stabilized. If stabilizing cracked ribs, have the patient put on an old t-shirt. Then snuggly wrap duct tape around the arm, leg, or ribs. But not too snuggly. It’s not a tourniquet.
Caesarean Section Information
I’ve known about the C-section information in Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, for years and wanted to write about it. But I can’t bring myself to do it. It’s the only off-grid medical text I have that details how to do it in an off-grid situation. There’s no way I’d be comfortable summarizing or rewording the instructions. I’ll leave the plagiarism and bad instructions to AI. So you’ll have to look up SAM3E yourself and print the pertinent pages.
Links to related posts:
Preparedness Uses of a Blacklight
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