The Survival Doctor's Guide to Wounds

By James Hubbard

Dr. Hubbard becomes your digital medical assistant in this interactive guide to what to do when you're wounded and there's no doctor to be found.

When you get a bad injury, the usual advice is to call 911. But what if there is no 911? What if you're in another Hurricane Katrina, a terrorist attack or the aftermath of a tornado? The phone lines are down; the roads are blocked. You are the only help available.

Most people wouldn't survive a bad wound without expert help. But with the right knowledge, you and your family can—even with the most basic makeshift supplies.

No matter the size of the wound—whether it's a nick, deep cut, stab wound, or gash—Dr. Hubbard guides you step-by-step from stopping the bleeding to closing the wound to giving it the best chance to heal. He teaches the basics but then goes beyond the usual first-aid books and details in plain language techniques rarely taught to laypeople.

Bonus videos help you learn many of the do-it-yourself techniques visually as well, such as twisting hair a certain way to close up a head wound.

In "The Survival Doctor's Guide to Wounds," you'll learn:

The easiest way to stop the bleeding in both minor and serious cuts.
Signs a wound is life-threatening—even if it doesn’t bleed much—and how to reduce the threat.
How to treat a cut and prevent infection with honey and duct tape.
Dangers to watch for in wounds that require special treatment, including stab wounds, animal bites, and cuts associated with broken bones.
Which wounds should not be closed, and what to do instead.
How to sterilize water and instruments with simple, everyday supplies.
How to save a life even if the wound won’t stop bleeding.
And more ....

James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H., has been a family doctor for over 30 years. He writes the popular survival-medicine blog TheSurvivalDoctor.com and created MyFamilyDoctor.com, a health-information site written by health-care professionals. His first medical practice was in his small Mississippi hometown, where patients taught him all kinds of home remedies. He now practices in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Hubbard is also the author of "The Survival Doctor's Guide to Burns."

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Hubbard
• Release date: Jul 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476354941

James Hubbard

James Hubbard grew up in small town, Pontotoc, Mississippi, and went back there to practice family medicine after his big city training in Dallas, Texas. After ten years of practicing in Pontotoc, he started a clinic in a larger nearby area, then sold the practice to move to Colorado Springs, CO. He currently practices part-time and publishes www.TheSurvivalDoctor.com and www.FamilyDoctorMag.com He received his M.D. from the University of Mississippi, an internship in internal medicine from Parkland Hospital in Dallas, and an M.P.H. from The Medical College of Wisconsin. He is board-certified in Occupational Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Association of Family Practice.

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About This Book

The roads are underwater. All lines are down. Cell phones aren't working. No medical expertise is available. What do you do?

If there’s a disaster and you can’t get help, this information’s for you—survival medicine for hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, social upheaval, or anytime you're isolated.

I’ve been a family doctor for over thirty years. I’ve practiced in small and large towns, worked in emergency rooms and in clinics.

I’ve come to realize that many smart people don’t know the basics about medicine. Now, I’m not putting that down. Put me near a leaky faucet, and my wife hides the tools. But if I have a flooded basement and can’t get a plumber, I know how to turn off the water supply.

I’ve seen able people who don’t know to put pressure on a cut to stop it from bleeding. But even if you know how to do this, what if the wound is bad and you have no medical assistance? What if you can't get help for days?

I think about this every time there’s a disaster like a hurricane or earthquake. I thought of it after the Japan nuclear disaster and after the London riots: What if those people can’t get out of their house and medical personnel can’t get to them—for hours, days? Worse, what if their phone lines are down? What if the ERs are packed, or damaged themselves?

Please, please, I beg, don’t ever use this information instead of seeing qualified medical personnel. This book is for times when that is not possible—improvisational, last-ditch medical treatment to keep you alive until help is on the way.

James Hubbard, MD, MPH

How to Use This Book

The Survival Doctor's guides are among the first books to be written around interactive links. As best as is possible with computers, I use the links to mimic my decision-making process.

Instead of writing, If this is a scalp cut, flip to page such and such; when you’re through, flip back to the original page, I can write, If this is a scalp cut, click here. You click the link, and like magic, you read about scalp cuts. Then you click back. No frantic page