Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures for Emergencies

by Hugh L. Coffee

Book Overview

Whether it's a war zone or a civil disaster area, traumatic injuries often occur in remote, unsanitary locations. This book teaches advanced field procedures for small wound repair, care of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873647173
• ISBN13: 9780873647175
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Paladin Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Gets no better than this

It doesn't matter where you are, or what the situation is, if you, a team member, family member or friend is injured, you do what you have to do to save their life or treat the condition! Period! As survivalists we know that we may not always have access to a sanitary emergency room and a half-asleep doctor in the middle of the night. If that time comes, this is the book to have! This book teaches advanced field procedures for small wound repair, pain control, care of infected wounds, IV therapy, amputations, treatment of burns, airway procedures and much much more.This book is writen in straightforward language for those who don't know an artery from a anuerism, and step-by-step proceedures are discussed in great detail. Pictures of suturing, debriding wounds and many other items show you what a thousand words cannot describe. So many techniques and how-to's are discussed that there is not room here to elaborate on all of them. Let's just say this book is pretty complete. Pair it with a few other reference manuals and you greatly increase your chances of saving a loved one's life in a disaster situation!The Down Side: None, well thought out with lots of diagrams and procedure picturesWould WE Buy It?: Oh Yes! Our Alpha team medic has already made this book part of his personal library and is recommending it to others for their reference library. I consider this to be a companion to the US Army's Special Forces Medical handbook.Technical Specs: Book size is 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, w/photos and illustrations., 224 pages. ISBN 0873647173

Great Book

Ditch Medicine succinctly provides practical emergency medical knowledge that will allow the reader to render effective patient care from the veldt to the rain forest.Written in a professional manner the writer departs from extensive use of technical terms therefore making topics understandable and more importantly palatable.Extensive footnotes allow the reader an invaluable resource for additional study.The book has been out for some time but the fundamental soundness of the narrative (particularly the chapter on small wound repair) prevents the book from being considered dated.The writer waste no energy on abstract improvised emergency medical devices or quasi legal means of obtaining medication. Preparedness is the underlying theme recognizing that it is incumbent on the reader to provide advanced life support with task specific equipment.I highly recommend this book to the layman who foresees himself rendering emergency medical care in a remote location.

when everything already went wrong and no doctor is coming

That is what Ditch Medicine is about. If you are just going tostablise the person and shout into your cel phone for the ER to get ready while you drive the SUV back to town this isntyour book. If you are stuck somewhere and there is no medicalhelp coming soon and the situation is bad THIS IS YOUR BOOK.

Outstanding Text

This is the required textbook for the "Remote Medical Technician" program that I teach in Roatan, Honduras. It is written for individuals who routinely operate in remote isolated areas without the benefit of a doctor or hospital nearby. It is clear and concise in its presentation of advanced procedures without the usual "clutter".

Ditch Medicine is a must-have reference for Field Medicine!

Hugh Coffee did a top notch job researching and writing this book. We were so impressed with the accuracy of the contents that we both highly recommend as well as use his book for teaching in our Field Medicine classes. Well done! Well done, indeed! Chuck Fenwick, Director, Medical Corps