TYPES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THEIR EFFECTS Given the fragile state of affairs on the Korean peninsula, fears of a nuclear incident are higher than at any time since the Cold War. With good reason, most people associate use of nuclear weapons with devastating outcomes. Few, however, know much about the different types and their actual effects. (by the way, It’s pronounced “noo-clee-ar”, not “noo-cu-lar”) TYPES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS Until the recent missile launches by North Korea, most people were

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TYPES OF RADIATION FROM NUCLEAR BLASTS In my last article, I discussed the various aspects of radiation sickness, but haven’t yet defined just what radiation is. The quick definition of radiation is energy given off by unstable matter in the form of rays or high-speed particles. Some basic chemistry paraphrased from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC): All matter, including you, is composed of atoms. Atoms are made up of various parts; the central nucleus contains minute particles called

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SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR #352 In this episode of the Survival Medicine Hour, Joe and Amy Alton, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy discuss the recent saber-rattling from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, our responses, and what to do if your area is hit by radiation from an atomic blast (or a nuclear reactor meltdown). Dr. Alton also talks about what to do if you’re lost at sea: How to get food and water, protection from the elements, and even

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RADIATION SICKNESS Many consider a nuclear attack an outlandish scenario to which only conspiracy theorists subscribe. Unfortunately, the threat of a nuclear incident, accidental or purposeful, exists, perhaps more than in recent years, due to recent developments in the Korean peninsula. Atomic weapons can decimate a population from thermal blasts, but it also causes illness and death due to exposure from radiation. Although populated areas have experienced detonations only twice, (Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945), nuclear reactor meltdowns and other

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12 WATER SAFETY TIPS In warm weather, a lot of outdoor activities will include waterfront areas like the lake or beach. A dunk in the local water feature is refreshing, but puts many, especially children, at risk for injuries; of these, drowning is one of the most tragic. Among those 14 years old and under, drowning is the second most common cause of injury-related death (car accidents are first). More than 800 kids die due to drowning mishaps every year,

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  SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR PODCAST #350   In this episode of the Survival Medicine Hour, hosts Joe Alton MD, aka Dr. Bones and Amy Alton, ARNP, aka Nurse Amy discuss the antiseptics you should consider for your medical storage, how to tell sprains from fractures without modern medical imaging, and what to do when your boat capsizes in open water and you find yourself alone with or without a life vest.  Plus, Nurse Amy answers a question as a member

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I’ve often said that, in a major disaster, we may be thrown back to a bygone era where modern medicine is not an option. Indeed, we can expect civil war-era statistics with regards to major abdominal and chest trauma outcomes, but we will still be ahead of our ancestors even if we’re thrown off the grid. That’s because of modern knowledge of antisepsic techniques. The word antiseptic comes from the greek words anti (against) and septikos (putrid or rotten).  Antiseptics

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Video: 10 Critical Principles of Tourniquet Use In this video, Nurse Amy steps in front of the camera to discuss important principles with regards to tourniquet use to stop massive hemorrhage.  Besides the imperative to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, Amy discusses the concept of pressure loss, the length of time the tourniquet should be placed, and when to transition the tourniquet to a pressure dressing with hemostatic agents. Nurse Amy (an advanced registered nurse practitioner) gives you strategies

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SURVIVAL MEDICINE HOUR #349 In the this episode of the Survival Medicine Hour with Joe Alton MD and Amy Alton ARNP, aka Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, our hosts discuss what you would do with a fractured bone off the grid or after a disaster where modern medicine is just not an option. Dr. Alton’s take on the subject might shock modern medical professionals, but you have to do what you can, with what you have, where you are, in

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POISON IVY AND SIMILAR PLANTS Whether you’re outdoors due to a major disaster or just on a wilderness hike, it’s possible that you’ll run afoul of poisonous plants. If you live in the continental United States, expect to find poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and others in the environment.  350,000 cases of poison ivy alone are recorded in the United States every year. POISON IVY AND SIMILAR PLANTS The typical “tri-foliate” appearance of poison ivy and another poisonous plant,

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