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The essential guide to take care of your family’s health when you can’t get medical help or answers right away.
It's the worst snowstorm you can remember. The ice-covered streets are abandoned. You hear a boom in the distance, and your computer screen goes blank. Darkness. A crash and another bang from inside the house. In the hallway, your husband sits on the floor, soaked in blood. You dial 911, and all you get is a busy signal. Would you know what to do next?
The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook will teach you just what you need to know to take care of yourself and your loved ones in the event you aren’t able to get professional medical help right away. Encompassing but going well beyond immediate first aid, the book covers:
how to put a dislocated joint back into place
how to prevent hypothermia when your heat has gone out
what to do for asthma when you don’t have your inhaler
whether you can really drink your own urine if you run out of water
what to feed your toddler if he has a fever and you have no medicine
and much more
Featuring more than 100 illustrations, along with quick quizzes and real-life examples, The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook will take you step by step through the essentials of medical care during a crisis. Perhaps you’ve been stranded by a sudden storm when out camping. Maybe you live alone in a rural area, and can’t easily get to a doctor when you hurt your arm. Or you just want to make sure you and your family are prepared to safely weather the next Superstorm Sandy, polar vortex, tornado strike, heat wave, earthquake, or other natural disaster. Whatever your situation and your health needs, The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook is your must-have medical resource.
It's the worst snowstorm you can remember. The ice-covered streets are abandoned. You hear a boom in the distance, and your computer screen goes blank. Darkness. A crash and another bang from inside the house. In the hallway, your husband sits on the floor, soaked in blood. You dial 911, and all you get is a busy signal. Would you know what to do next?
The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook will teach you just what you need to know to take care of yourself and your loved ones in the event you aren’t able to get professional medical help right away. Encompassing but going well beyond immediate first aid, the book covers:
how to put a dislocated joint back into place
how to prevent hypothermia when your heat has gone out
what to do for asthma when you don’t have your inhaler
whether you can really drink your own urine if you run out of water
what to feed your toddler if he has a fever and you have no medicine
and much more
Featuring more than 100 illustrations, along with quick quizzes and real-life examples, The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook will take you step by step through the essentials of medical care during a crisis. Perhaps you’ve been stranded by a sudden storm when out camping. Maybe you live alone in a rural area, and can’t easily get to a doctor when you hurt your arm. Or you just want to make sure you and your family are prepared to safely weather the next Superstorm Sandy, polar vortex, tornado strike, heat wave, earthquake, or other natural disaster. Whatever your situation and your health needs, The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook is your must-have medical resource.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2016
30 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
James Hubbard
7 books10 followersJames Hubbard, MD, MPH, aka The Survival Doctor, is one of the nation’s foremost survival-medicine experts. With his signature down-home style, this author, speaker and popular blogger shares information about dealing with medical problems during a disaster, while stranded in the wilderness or anytime getting to a doctor is impossible. His evidence-based tips are a combination of modern medicine, makeshift treatments and Grandma’s home remedies.
Dr. Hubbard has been a family doctor for over 30 years. He teaches worldwide through best-selling books, videos, seminars and his blog TheSurvivalDoctor.com. Much of the information he shares is usually reserved for health-care providers. He believes "everyone deserves the chance to survive."
A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dr. Hubbard trained at the acclaimed Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He has a master’s in public health and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Medical Association and Wilderness Medical Society.
Dr. Hubbard has been a family doctor for over 30 years. He teaches worldwide through best-selling books, videos, seminars and his blog TheSurvivalDoctor.com. Much of the information he shares is usually reserved for health-care providers. He believes "everyone deserves the chance to survive."
A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dr. Hubbard trained at the acclaimed Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He has a master’s in public health and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Medical Association and Wilderness Medical Society.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 24, 2017
I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting when I requested this book from the library. Based on the title, I was hoping to supplement my structured RN knowledge (working with the supplies and resources of a large hospital) with practical "field" tips. The title is misleading though. Hubbard doesn't really teach readers how to cope *without* help--which is probably wise considering the current EMS/911 grid, and that he is an MD with the inherent task to do no harm. His book is more a guide on what to do *until* help arrives. It's a huge distinction. He's written a decent first aid and triage book, and given it an attention grabbing headline. Some of the sections (such as CPR, stabilizing someone with a spine injury, recognizing signs of acute coronary syndrome, and signs of stroke) are GREAT info to disseminate to as many people as possible, but have limited to no value for the premise of the book (that there is no help on the way).
I did learn a few things though. Hubbard relays an easy to remember acronym for altered mental status (confusion). It's used in ERs and by EMS. The version he uses in the book is greatly simplified, and leaves out some potential causes. The acronym is AEIOU-TIPS. A=alcoholism, E= epilepsy/seizures I=infection O=overdose U=uremia T=trauma I=insulin P=poisons S=stroke. Although this is a good place to start, other causes of AMS are hypo/hyperthermia, electrolyte imbalances, oxygen (hypoxia), acidosis, and shock to name a few. This is a good example of my problem with The Survival Doctor's Complete Handbook , and why I don't feel comfortable giving it more than 3 stars. Hubbard is trying to write more than a first aid manual. He honestly wants more complex knowledge to be available to anyone in emergency/natural disaster type situations. But you know the saying that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing? This book is a mix of giving some great advice (how to fix a dislocated shoulder, how to splint a broken leg, how to stop profuse bleeding, a homemade recipe for oral re hydration fluid--the WHO formula), and some decent advice, but still contact a doctor (the chapter on altered mental status, the section on pneumothorax, and a breakdown of different causes for abdominal pain).
Then there are the sections that just made me scratch my head. For abdominal pain which is "diffuse" and "severe" he warns that it could be peritonitis, and that the victim shouldn't eat or drink anything for 24-48 hours. He also advocates 24 hours of gut rest for pancreatitis. While hospitalized patients with these conditions are NPO, this doesn't seem like practical advice when help isn't coming, especially as those with the knowledge and equipment to provide IV hydration outside a hospital are few and far between. He skims over how to deliver a baby outside a hospital but for breech delivery he basically says to "hope for the best and let the baby work its way out". For chest pain, if help isn't coming, he suggests taking it easy for a day or two. He does advise taking a daily baby aspirin which is sound.
The chapters on insect/animal bites and weathering the elements were fairly short. I was hoping for more practical information for those two areas. He also doesn't give very many herbal remedies which disappointed me. Readers can find many useful tips here Mother Earth News Guide to Healing Herbs instead. Also try The Rural Living Handbook: An Illustrated Guide to Practical Country Skills.
Bottom line: Hopefully our emergency response system never fails to the point where help isn't coming...but sometimes it does take a bit (think backpacking trips or natural disasters). Having a competent grasp of first aid techniques, a well stocked medical kit, basic supplies, and a supply of fresh drinking water is always a good idea. This book has some good tips to get you started, but don't rely on *ANY* book or website more than the advice of your primary care doctor. When in doubt, ask. Given 3 stars or a rating of "good".
I did learn a few things though. Hubbard relays an easy to remember acronym for altered mental status (confusion). It's used in ERs and by EMS. The version he uses in the book is greatly simplified, and leaves out some potential causes. The acronym is AEIOU-TIPS. A=alcoholism, E= epilepsy/seizures I=infection O=overdose U=uremia T=trauma I=insulin P=poisons S=stroke. Although this is a good place to start, other causes of AMS are hypo/hyperthermia, electrolyte imbalances, oxygen (hypoxia), acidosis, and shock to name a few. This is a good example of my problem with The Survival Doctor's Complete Handbook , and why I don't feel comfortable giving it more than 3 stars. Hubbard is trying to write more than a first aid manual. He honestly wants more complex knowledge to be available to anyone in emergency/natural disaster type situations. But you know the saying that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing? This book is a mix of giving some great advice (how to fix a dislocated shoulder, how to splint a broken leg, how to stop profuse bleeding, a homemade recipe for oral re hydration fluid--the WHO formula), and some decent advice, but still contact a doctor (the chapter on altered mental status, the section on pneumothorax, and a breakdown of different causes for abdominal pain).
Then there are the sections that just made me scratch my head. For abdominal pain which is "diffuse" and "severe" he warns that it could be peritonitis, and that the victim shouldn't eat or drink anything for 24-48 hours. He also advocates 24 hours of gut rest for pancreatitis. While hospitalized patients with these conditions are NPO, this doesn't seem like practical advice when help isn't coming, especially as those with the knowledge and equipment to provide IV hydration outside a hospital are few and far between. He skims over how to deliver a baby outside a hospital but for breech delivery he basically says to "hope for the best and let the baby work its way out". For chest pain, if help isn't coming, he suggests taking it easy for a day or two. He does advise taking a daily baby aspirin which is sound.
The chapters on insect/animal bites and weathering the elements were fairly short. I was hoping for more practical information for those two areas. He also doesn't give very many herbal remedies which disappointed me. Readers can find many useful tips here Mother Earth News Guide to Healing Herbs instead. Also try The Rural Living Handbook: An Illustrated Guide to Practical Country Skills.
Bottom line: Hopefully our emergency response system never fails to the point where help isn't coming...but sometimes it does take a bit (think backpacking trips or natural disasters). Having a competent grasp of first aid techniques, a well stocked medical kit, basic supplies, and a supply of fresh drinking water is always a good idea. This book has some good tips to get you started, but don't rely on *ANY* book or website more than the advice of your primary care doctor. When in doubt, ask. Given 3 stars or a rating of "good".
November 6, 2018
I’m such a medical nerd that I read this handbook straight through and loved it. I think it’s worth purchasing to keep at home!
February 2, 2022
An excellent medical field guide for the non professional.
February 6, 2019
Very informative! I will keep a copy in my “bug out” bag.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews