Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Stone's throw from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    (Butler County)
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    Default Home medical gear & supplies

    What's everybody doing for medical preps?

    Since Coronavirus is a respiratory infection, the medical system may be overrun, and my wife is high-risk due to multiple issues caused by muscular dystrophy, I bought a home oxygen concentrator 2 weeks ago on Craigslist for $350. I'm thinking that this, together with her BiPAP, could be a real lifesaver to treat pneumonia. The BiPAP mask already has an oxygen port on it.

    My dad is also at risk with multiple medical problems. Today I saw a CL ad for two oxygen concentrators for $175, one working and one not. What the heck, I grabbed those too. The second one powers up but has no flow. I'm thinking the sieve bed is clogged. There are companies that will repour (refill) the sieve bed, the cost from one for this model is $85. If I can fix the 2nd one, I'll try to find someone who can use it.

    I need to replace the water bottle that the O2 passes through to humidify it.

    My kids have BiPAPs too, since they have mid cases of sleep apnea, but they don't use the BiPAPs. I hear that the breathing cycle of each machine is tailored to the user. So now I need to figure out if one of those would work for my dad, or is it possible to reprogram them?

    I also ordered a fingertip battery-powered pulse-ox monitor. And my daughter has a blood pressure cuff.

    100 500 mg fish mox won't help with coronavirus victims, but it might save someone else.
    Last edited by scruff; March 17th, 2020 at 12:56 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    (Allegheny County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    I bought day and night versions in the liquid flu meds (Nyquil) before they became scarce.
    I later updated Mrs EM on the dwindling supply of medicine at work and she gave me a list of other things like straight up decongestants and such.
    Who wants to be sick with a flu-like plague and have to go looking for meds? Get that stuff and have it on hand - if the angel of death passes over you, the meds will still be good for a few more winters.

    Beyond that, I bought alcohol for sanitizing, have several boxes of gloves already on hand, and I'm eating vitamins like they are candy.

    I seem to be relatively healthy, so I don't have a lot of concerns beyond the fact that I have allergies , and this virus may enjoy exploiting that fact by compounding things.
    I called to check my ZIP CODE!....DY-NO-MITE!!!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Stone's throw from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    (Butler County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Quote Originally Posted by Emptymag View Post
    I bought day and night versions in the liquid flu meds (Nyquil) before they became scarce.
    I later updated Mrs EM on the dwindling supply of medicine at work and she gave me a list of other things like straight up decongestants and such.
    Who wants to be sick with a flu-like plague and have to go looking for meds? Get that stuff and have it on hand - if the angel of death passes over you, the meds will still be good for a few more winters.

    Beyond that, I bought alcohol for sanitizing, have several boxes of gloves already on hand, and I'm eating vitamins like they are candy.

    I seem to be relatively healthy, so I don't have a lot of concerns beyond the fact that I have allergies , and this virus may enjoy exploiting that fact by compounding things.
    Lol, yeah, we're chowing down on vitamins too - adult gummy multivitamins, C, and D.

    Here's what may be an important video - John Campbell says health officials say taking NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen can result in complications with the virus. Interesting that he says high fever is actually beneficial for your immune system fighting a virus, so don't fight it with those drugs.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    127.0.0.1, Pennsylvania
    (Lancaster County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    We have a large soft sided tackle bag that we got from Cabela's a few years ago in the bargain cave. It works great as a FFAK. We have a Pulse/Ox, Blood Pressure Cuff and Stethoscope as well. It's pretty well stocked with most things that a family would need, including a skin stapler. I'm just dreading the day we might actually need to use that.





    Tubes of Lidocaine are great to have for when the kids get a splinter and it's in deep enough that it needs dug out.

    Rules are written in the stone,
    Break the rules and you get no bones,
    all you get is ridicule, laughter,
    and a trip to the house of pain.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
    (Lehigh County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Quote Originally Posted by scruff View Post
    What's everybody doing for medical preps?

    My kids have BiPAPs too, since they have mid cases of sleep apnea, but they don't use the BiPAPs. I hear that the breathing cycle of each machine is tailored to the user. So now I need to figure out if one of those would work for my dad, or is it possible to reprogram them?
    Yes, all you need is the code (usually a set of key entries) to get into admin or program mode. I use a cpap and in my travels have picked up spares, the most recent of which was a bipap, and I was able to reprogram it as a cpap with my pressure setting. Is is my travel unit since it is half the size of my older one.

    Google the machine by name and model and you may find just what you need or call a supplier and see if they will tell you, some will, most won't. If you want more feel to PM me, and I will see if I can help.
    Illegitimus non carborundum est

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    Somewhere, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Quote Originally Posted by gghbi View Post
    Yes, all you need is the code (usually a set of key entries) to get into admin or program mode. I use a cpap and in my travels have picked up spares, the most recent of which was a bipap, and I was able to reprogram it as a cpap with my pressure setting. Is is my travel unit since it is half the size of my older one.

    Google the machine by name and model and you may find just what you need or call a supplier and see if they will tell you, some will, most won't. If you want more feel to PM me, and I will see if I can help.
    Specifically Google "clinician mode" for your particular model.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Scenery Hill, Pennsylvania
    (Washington County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    For a lot of great info in podcast format check out the Civilian Medical Podcast. I suggest starting with the first episodes where they cover each step of the MARCH acronym.

    https://firearmsradio.tv/civilian-medical

    They also give out a discount code on the podcast for Medical Gear Outfitters which is owned by “skinny medic”: https://medicalgearoutfitters.com

    If you have an HSA you can send them an email and pay with that.

    I picked up their First Responder Kit and added also CAT tourniquets, Halo chest seals, Israeli bandages, and hemostatic gauze.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Piney twp, Pennsylvania
    (Clarion County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Training will never be wasted. Will depend on what's available around you.
    If internet access is out a hardcopy of an emergency medical manual will be useful.
    Depending on backgrounds suggestions would be a basic EMT training manual and a paramedic training manual.
    Used references on military medical manuals are good. Have found several at gun shows. (disclaimer, haven't been to a show in a few years.)
    Look in used book sections for "The Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice". This is an easy to follow classic bible of patient care.
    Another classic would be in hardcover the "Merk Manual".
    Here is a link to their online commercial version: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home#
    And their online professional version: https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional
    If you know someone who works at a hospital ask them to keep an eye out and let you know if the medical library is purging books. Many topics usually sold dime on the dollar. May of changed but a few years back the smaller hospitals I knew did this.
    It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    127.0.0.1, Pennsylvania
    (Lancaster County)
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Eating dinner tonight I looked up and saw that my aloe plant has several fresh offshoots growing. My mom always kept an aloe plant in the house, and I've had this one since my wife and I got married. They're great to have to deal with fresh burns. Just cut off the end of one sprig and squeeze the liquid on the burn. It will help alleviate the pain as well as help it heal.

    Anecdote: When I was a teen on my grandfather's last visits before he died we were at my bench desoldering some parts. I was working on removing a diode from the circuit when the soldering iron slipped and the barrel went right into the fleshy part between my thumb and finger. That was 750F right into my hand. I set the iron down, ran right up and cut off some aloe, squeeze out the juice and rubbed it in real good. I didn't even get a blister.
    Rules are written in the stone,
    Break the rules and you get no bones,
    all you get is ridicule, laughter,
    and a trip to the house of pain.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Somewhere, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Home medical gear & supplies

    Quote Originally Posted by streaker69 View Post
    Eating dinner tonight I looked up and saw that my aloe plant has several fresh offshoots growing. My mom always kept an aloe plant in the house, and I've had this one since my wife and I got married. They're great to have to deal with fresh burns. Just cut off the end of one sprig and squeeze the liquid on the burn. It will help alleviate the pain as well as help it heal.

    Anecdote: When I was a teen on my grandfather's last visits before he died we were at my bench desoldering some parts. I was working on removing a diode from the circuit when the soldering iron slipped and the barrel went right into the fleshy part between my thumb and finger. That was 750F right into my hand. I set the iron down, ran right up and cut off some aloe, squeeze out the juice and rubbed it in real good. I didn't even get a blister.
    Reminds me of Johnny Tremain. Except your story has a happy ending.

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