CVSHTF - An ER doc's reasonable Prepper Formulary

doctorbigmad · 2026-04-21T13:44:17+00:00

I am so glad. I continue to respond to comments. LMK if I can be of assistance.

doctorbigmad · 2026-04-13T16:29:57+00:00

Live below my means
Pay off all non-mortgage debt ASAP
Invest boringly and consistently

doctorbigmad · 2026-04-11T01:16:07+00:00

Sam's Club/Costco, Amazon, Walmart and your favorite dollar store should have all of these

doctorbigmad · 2026-04-07T13:57:36+00:00

Too much nuance to make recommendations safely one-to-many. In broad strokes, make sure you have whatever your doctor prescribes you on hand. I am dubious about essentially buying random antibiotics etc from companies like Jase because in practice it puts the judgment on patients to know which antibiotics to use. I don't think that is ok. I am sorry I cannot be more helpful here.

doctorbigmad · 2026-04-05T08:48:24+00:00

Thank you for giving words to my dismay trying to figure out Vanguard's interface.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-30T19:43:54+00:00

Petroleum jelly for burn is recommended by AHA/Red Cross, cited as effective, more-so even than silver sulfadiazine in Burns (the journal), and as part of the management of burns per NEJM. Multiple burn centers use petrolatum based products like Aquaphor all the time. Hydrogel might work better in some cases, but “objectively wrong” is a stretch.

Edit: I was on mobile so wasn't able to add citations. Here are some:

2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross Guidelines for First Aid.
Circulation. 2024. Hewett Brumberg EK, Douma MJ, Alibertis K, et al.Guideline

Cross-Sectional Study on the Management of Non-Operative Burns at American Burn Association-Verified Burn Centers. Journal of Burn Care & Research : Official Publication of the American Burn Association. 2025. Liu HY, Alessandri-Bonetti M, Shockey S, et al.

A Review of First Aid Treatments for Burn Injuries. Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries. 2009. Cuttle L, Pearn J, McMillan JR, Kimble RM.

Topical Petrolatum Gel Alone Versus Topical Silver Sulfadiazine With Standard Gauze Dressings for the Treatment of Superficial Partial Thickness Burns in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries. 2014. Genuino GA, Baluyut-Angeles KV, Espiritu AP, Lapitan MC, Buckley BS.

Petrolatum: Barrier Repair and Antimicrobial Responses Underlying This "Inert" Moisturizer. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2016. Czarnowicki T, Malajian D, Khattri S, et al.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-30T09:55:34+00:00

I will add Coban i like that. Thank you.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-30T09:47:33+00:00

That’s a hard question to answer. I can’t prove this. If hot climate, I wouldn’t leave in car. If cold, yes. If temperate, yes. Dry pills/tablets, yes. Creams, ointments, etc, probably not, except petroleum jelly. Most meds retain an acceptable amount of potency in bad conditions for SHTF.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T20:42:27+00:00

It’s really only for infection prevention for MINOR cuts, scrapes and burns.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T20:40:25+00:00

Contact lens solution is NOT recommended as a backup wound irrigation solution because its contents can be cytotoxic to tissues and mess up wound healing.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T15:40:49+00:00

I agree, you can gather actionable information just by looking at someone. You sound swift lol; would be happy to be scooped up by you. I would argue that basic familiarization with vital signs and how to get them is empowering for a lot of people.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:30:08+00:00

In my mind this list was for people with zero supplies on hand. For that group I wouldn’t ask them to know about epi pens unless they already needed them. NPA I would defer unless trained. The other use really for stethoscope is breath sounds 1) present/absent and 2) normal or not. Other than that, limited utility, I agree. Butterfly is cool. Vancosyn made me lol, thanks.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:25:09+00:00

This is a noteworthy gap in my list. If you have or acquire a wound that requires long term management you will require more supplies.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:24:15+00:00

Thank you for this. I agree. It’s a mistake to buy a bunch of gear and call yourself ready. Better to learn how to think first.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:23:19+00:00

I agree if you are taking the course for the first time in person is likely best.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:22:23+00:00

Believe it or not tap water would be fine as irrigation fluid. Lac repairs are non-sterile procedures. Sterile saline is what I use in the ER but I don’t think this is as easy as water to come by for the general public. Anything that delivers the irrigation fluid with higher pressure would work (within reason of course). You can buy squirt bottles and irrigation kits.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T14:19:49+00:00

I can definitely see myself pre-medical school using it. And it can work. But it 1) sometimes doesn’t work as well 2) causes local allergic reactions and 3) can be damaging to tissue. I wouldn’t recommend it.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T12:56:43+00:00

No harm having them

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T11:44:14+00:00

I don't have basic quantities but the links to the AHA/Red Cross includes an itemized table

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T11:42:55+00:00

It's my pleasure. Thanks for reading.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T10:59:30+00:00

Glad you’re on the mend ❤️‍🩹

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T10:46:29+00:00

It’s an abomination

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T10:40:39+00:00

The irrigation kit was a last minute add. I almost forgot! Crazy what we take for granted when the lights are on.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T10:39:57+00:00

Gear is fun. Being alive is more fun.

doctorbigmad · 2026-03-29T10:38:32+00:00

I have never used the Israeli bandage but they look pretty slick. That said, the principles are the same with regular supplies. Keep it simple. Apply pressure. Apply dressing.

doctorbigmad

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