Preparing for medical deployment

[DropkickMurphy]

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OK, here's the deal, an EMT friend of mine and myself have volunteered to go help train Nepalese paramedics and allied health professionals next year and we've been kind of given the "bring whatever you can get your hands on, oh and by the way if you know it, you can teach it" approach to planning this. Well, that's where the problem becomes a little beyond my scope of experience. Obviously I know EMS, RT and echocardiography quite well, but I have a feeling that this is going to present itself as a much more broad experience than just that so I want to be prepared for it.

Can any of you all provide suggestions as to reading materials that would give me a better grasp on the non-critical care aspects of medicine? I mean I have read a lot of things on various aspects of medicine over the past 10 years, but I really want to be up to speed on each of the following areas:

-Preventive health care
-Primary care
-International public health
-Infectious disease
-General pediatrics
-General internal medicine
-Etc

Basically, I would appreciate each of you, for your own respective area of specialization, recommending the best texts and electronic sources of information for someone with a working knowledge of medicine. Thanks in advance. 👍

 

[DogFaceMedic]

You have an ambitious project.
For a good practical reference that covers a great deal, I like the Special Forces medical handbook (Ranger Joes probably has it, or other outfitters). It covers infections to pediatrics when there is little medical support. The book provides basic diagnoses and recommended treatments in SOAP formats, and some very good appendices. You may need a crash course in pharm.

But, know who you are going with and what they can do should the political situation go south on you. A lot changes in a year and the Maoist efforts to destabilize the region may pick up speed, to include bombings and targeting of tourists.

Few things are more rewarding than these types of medical missions. It is a great thing to bring medical education to places in the world that truly are in need. You can do a lot of great things for them; sounds like a great adventure. Best of luck.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Thanks for the advice. I already have a the SF medical handbook and have read it a few times and I am looking to move past the basic level since I will be teaching.

Having been prior military, I am treating this in much the same was a military deployment (hence the way I worded the title of this post). I know the other person I am going with can handle himself if the **** hits the fan, and I know the same about myself and we are planning on sitting down and working out contingency plans for forseeable events prior to leaving.

 

[flighterdoc]

Thanks for the advice. I already have a the SF medical handbook and have read it a few times and I am looking to move past the basic level since I will be teaching.

Having been prior military, I am treating this in much the same was a military deployment (hence the way I worded the title of this post). I know the other person I am going with can handle himself if the **** hits the fan, and I know the same about myself and we are planning on sitting down and working out contingency plans for forseeable events prior to leaving.

Do you have the new one (Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook, available with ring binding, on CD and for PDA) or the old one (ST-31-091B)?

The older one has much better austere preventative health info in it than the new one does. The new one has up to date medical info in it.

PM me and I'll try emailing the old one to you (I have it in 3 pdf's) if you like.

 

[Bobblehead]

Here's a link to a lot of pdf files including the old SF medical handbook:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/milmed/

The other book that I've found useful is Auerbach's Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. It's available as a paperback or palm doc.

 

[DogFaceMedic]

THe old SF book is a bit dated on meds but is a good concise reference.

Before I go buy something new: how do you guys like the new SOF book for in the field where my PDA fears to tread?

 

[flighterdoc]

THe old SF book is a bit dated on meds but is a good concise reference.

Before I go buy something new: how do you guys like the new SOF book for in the field where my PDA fears to tread?

The new one is good, but there's an update coming out next year....so I'd hold off buying it.

 

[flighterdoc]

Here's a link to a lot of pdf files including the old SF medical handbook:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/milmed/

The other book that I've found useful is Auerbach's Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. It's available as a paperback or palm doc.

Thanks! That must be where I found it originally.

Auerbachs field guide (or textbook) is pretty much the standard for wilderness but for remote care (indigenous care, public health, veterinary care, etc) the old SF book is better.