Infection Management in TEOTWAWKI

Preventing infection is better than treating an infection.

The biggest advance in health was the improvement of sanitation in the early 1900s. When disposing of waste it should be done as far as possible from the living area. Especially from the kitchen and eating areas, and if done correctly it will prevent the common diarrhea illnesses that kill many when modern medical care is not available.

Any wound, even the most minor scratches must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. If dirt and debris is in the wound, do your best to scrub and use copious amounts of water to clean it out thoroughly. This seemingly simple thing, which even now we seldom do will actually prevent most wound infections. Antibiotic ointments help, but simple washing and copious irrigation of open wounds is most important.

Good personal hygiene helps as well. Bathing regularly as much as possible. Brushing your teeth to prevent cavities and gum and dental infections.

Keep your skin in good condition. Use hats and light colored long sleeved shirts to prevent sunburn. Use some type of moisturizing cream or balm to keep your skin in good condition as well. If your skin is damaged, dry, scaly which can easily happen if you are doing a lot of manual labor, or out in the hot sun, you are less resistant to skin infections. This includes the feet. If you sweat a lot, take your shoes and socks off twice daily and fan dry them to prevent fungal infections. If your feet are dry and scaly, then use a good moisturizing cream.
I have worked in areas where my fingers bled from cracks during the winter because of the wet dry cycle. If these things are not attended to infections will and do occur. Again, a long sleeved shirt will stop most critter bites.

Make sure you have had a recent tetanus booster. In TEOTWAWKI, vaccinations will be difficult to obtain, so make sure you are up to date. You should update your tetanus vaccine every 10 years. The current tetanus vaccine includes diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Make sure you get this triple vaccine, called Tdap ("T-DAP"). In some parts of the world where vaccines are not available, these are major killers.If we expect things to slip, we will all be part of the "third world" and subject to these same bugs.

TREATING THE MOST COMMON INFECTIONS (Adults)


If prevention fails, these are the infections you are most likely to encounter.

1. Common cold. Symptoms are: runny nose, sore throat, cough. You might get a little achy, fatigued, even have a low grade fever up too 100.5 or so. Just take some cough and cold meds. It will go away by itself. Please do not take antibiotics for this. It is a total waste of your resources. Antibiotics will not help, and may make you worse if you have an adverse reaction.

2. Cellulitis . This is a potentially serious infection. It usually arises from an injury, like a cut, or puncture wound. It is easily recognizes as an expanding area of redness. It is warm, and tender to touch. As it enlarges, you will eventually develop a fever, and have chills. Swollen lymph glands may appear nearby. This may also develop into the classic "red streak" going up an arm or leg. This is called "lymphangitis," but is a type of cellulitis. We used to call this "blood poisoning" in the olden days ! The idea is that it is expanding/enlarging, usually quickly, over hours you can see a difference. This is life threatening, and requires antibiotics. It might have been prevented by washing a wound, and applying antibiotic ointment, but now it is too late for that. Systemic antibiotics are necessary. This is usually a type of streptococcus ("strep") infection, similar to what causes strep throat. It is sometimes Staph. You will need to contact trained medical help if you have allowed this to continue this far. The best antibiotic for this is Cephalexin (Keflex), or Erythromycin if you are allergic to Penicillin. These of course need to be prescribed by a physician or other health care professional.

3. Sinusitis You will know you have a sinus infection if you have sinus pressure or pain, discolored drainage, and swollen glands in the neck. Sometimes a fever will be present. Usually Amoxicillin will work for this, or Augmentin. If you are allergic to penicillin, then Bactrim is a good choice.These need to be prescribed by a physician or other health care professional.

4. Bronchitis This is almost always viral, and does not require antibiotics, unless you have chronic lung disease, or if you are a smoker. In that case, Amoxicillin will work for this, or Augmentin. If you are allergic to penicillin, then Bactrim is a good choice. These need to be prescribed by a physician or other health care porfessional

5. Pneumonia Pneumonia is not easy to diagnose, even for a Medical Doctor without x-rays, but if you have a cough, and fever above 101 degrees F, I would assume it is pneumonia, especially if you are having chest pain or shortness of breath. The best choices here are physician prescribed Avelox, Levaquin, and Azithromycin. If these are not available due to cost, Amoxicillin, and Augmentin will usually work, as will Erythromycin.

6. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) The symptoms are painful urination, and the feeling of needing to urinate frequently, and an urgent feeling to urinate. In women, this is usually a bladder infection, and three days of Cipro, Bactrim, or Macrodantin will usually work. If there is also flank pain, and fever, the health care professional would probably assume it is a kidney infection, and treat with Cipro or Bactrim for two weeks. For men, unless you have some abnormality in your bladder or kidneys, it is almost always a prostate infection (prostatitis). A fever may or may not be present. This requires 30 days of either Bactrim or Cipro.

7. Boils These are easily recognized. They are enlarging, painful cysts. Like giant pimples, they usually come to a head eventually, and open and drain pus. The best treatment is to open them, and drain using a scalpel. Once again, this should be done by a health care professional because the area of the opening is important. Do not squeeze them, because if they rupture internally, you have converted a minor thing into a serious thing. It is best to apply heat, and take antibiotics until the boil is "mature." It will come to a head (have a white point in the center) and can be easily drained, or will become fluctuant (mushy feeling) where you can lance it open to drain. The best antibiotic today is Bactrim, as this is almost always a Staph infection, and many are resistant to other antibiotics. These are MRSA Staph infections.

8. Impetigo These are superficial skin infections. They are weepy, crusted patches on the skin. Children are most prone, but adults can get it also. It is usually strep or staph infections, and the best antibiotic is Cephalexin, or Augmentin. Erythromycin will work also.

9. Middle ear infection The symptom is a painful ear. Sometimes also a fever. It is not always easy to differentiate it from "swimmers ear," which is an infection in the ear canal. If the ear hurts, and there is not obvious swelling and tenderness in the ear canal, I would assume it is a middle ear infection. Amoxicillin, Bactrim, Augmentin, Cephalexin would all work.

10. Swimmers ear This is the other "earache." The ear hurts, and if you look in the ear canal, and compare with the normal ear, the canal will be obviously swollen, sometimes swollen shut. If you gently wiggle the ear, to put some traction on the ear canal, it will be very tender. Middle ear infections will not be tender. Antibiotic ear drops are needed here. If you want to conserve money for supplies, have some antibiotic eye drops on hand. These can be used for eye infections, and will also work in the ear. DO NOT TRY THE REVERSE.

11. Diarrhea illnesses These are usually viral infections, and will resolve on their own in a few days if left alone. Just take Imodium, and drink plenty of fluids. If you are having a lot of abdominal pain with the diarrhea, or are having blood tinged diarrhea, and running a fever, it could be a bacterial infection, so in TEOTWAWKI, try Cipro. This will treat most of the bacterial causes of diarrhea. Remember also, these are usually sanitation failures. So good sanitation, and hand washing are good preventatives.

13. Influenza Influenza is usually only seen in the "flu season." It is also easily recognized. It is like a cold on steroids. It is a respiratory illness, causing a cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, and fever. Fever is usually 101 F or higher. One hallmark of influenza is extreme fatigue. If you are not exhausted, you are not likely a "flu" victim. Treat the symptoms, and wait it out.

14. Animal bites Animal bites are considered infected from day one. Most Doctors initiate antibiotics immediately. The best thing to try to prevent infection is to thoroughly cleanse the wound. If the wound is open, that is actually better, because you can more easily irrigate copiously with water. Use lots of irrigation. Bandage the wound, apply antibiotic ointment, and immediately start antibiotics. Augmentin is usually used because of the bacteria which usually cause the infection.

OTC antibiotics too stock up on


1. Bacitracin or Double antibiotic ointment (do not use Triple antibiotic, or Neosporin ointment, these are highly allergic).
2. Povidine (Betadine) is a great solution to cleanse wounds. It contains iodine. Those who are allergic to iodine should avoid.
3. Hibiclens This is a good alternative as a cleansing solution for those allergic to iodine. Several gallons would not be too much.

What is written here are suggestions, and since I am not a physician or nurse should be taken as suggestions. In any situation if professional medical care is available it should be used. There are so may ramification and alergies people have, that to diagnose on your own would certainly be folly on your part. You may cure the thing you are afflicted with only to find that the cure permanently caused damage or dysfunction in one of your vital organs. Rule of thumb is if you don't know for sure, contact a medical professional. I am indebted to a prepper by the name of georigadoc for much of this information, and I have edited some of the information to apply to our blog.