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Re: [pct-l] Backcountry Medicine



On a hike I carry *serious pain killers* and an *antibiotic*. My logic is that 2
days from a trailhead my self-diagnosis is better than no action. After 10 years
of my family hiking [about 240 overnights] none of us have never used the
antibiotic {Penecillin VK} and I have used the pain killer {Vicodine} exactly
once [I stupidly picked up a hot rock and burned my hand}

Now I understand that the medical profession shudders when a non-professional
makes a medical diagnosis. However, there are more smart people in the works
than Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists. I am more than capable of relating
symptoms to diseases to treatments. The process is well documented and anyone,
with a little effort, can learn the symptoms for common wilderness ailments and
appropriate treatments.

What I can't do in the wilderness is run the battery of tests that is typically
used to make a diagnosis. Theirfore self-diagnosis is only appropriate when the
condition is obvious {my hand hurts because I burned it} or {I have an infection
in my tooth because I have a toothache}.

What I can do in the wilderness is hike intelligently like {don't pick up hot
rocks}, {get my teeth checked before I start out}, {camp in open areas well away
from bug infested hideouts and avoid sitting on the ground}, {properly treating
my water} and {stressing my body and my feet by walking too far}

Lastly, may I add that I share the medical profession's abhorance of
non-professionals fooling around with what they don't understand. Most doctors
would be much richer [and happier] and I would be much poorer [and sadder] if
medical professionals stopped playing computer expert.


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