Letter Re: Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse

XXXXX:
While the article Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse, by P.C., RN, shares some common methods of treatment for general conceptual care of some common childhood diseases of infectious patients, it does not consider that in the treatment of diseases without available treatment of antibiotics, of diseases that are airborne and highly contagious, like Tuberculosis, SARS, Pertussis, or the Blood borne pathogens like Ebola, Active Hepatitis B, C or D, HIV PCP (Pneumocystis Pneumonia) or Ebola.

In these cases you do not want an open window to be allowing any escaping infectious droplets. Use of an airflow HEPA filtration system is optimum. It is also preferable to not provide care for the person in your home dwelling if others are residing there, if possible. Set up a non-porous washable surface tent for the patient with only a metal framed bed or cot, an overbed table and a bedside commode, 30 ft. away from your home or any animals. Anything that was in that room that is porous, like fabrics or even binds with cording that opens and closes them, must be either removed before the patient is placed in the room, or disposed of if left in it. Only Non-porous metal furniture or bed frames are recommended to be used in that room after the infectious droplets or bloodborne pathogens have come in contact with them. They will need to be heavily scoured and disinfected with bleach on all surfaces and baked in the sunshine before reuse.

What to do with waste: Use disposables whenever possible, not re-usables. Store up ample supplies of paper towel rolls, tissue, toilet paper, plates, spoons, forks, cups, gowns, disposable nitrile gloves in at least two sizes, face masks, incontinent pads, for the patient, add those and also head covering, and shoe covering, for each of the caretakers use, and when once used, double bag them, and bury them or burn them downwind from the homestead, in a designated metal 55 gallon drum.

Urine and stool should not be flushed untreated into a septic system if the field line runoff is connected to a gray water system or for leach watering your lawn or garden.

For additional specific information on Infection Control Practices used in Present Third World countries, refer to the PDF available at the WHO web site or search the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières web site for useful infection control practice information. Here is an interesting and informative article dealing with care of infections with the absence of antibiotics. Are you ready for a world without antibiotics? - K.A.F.

I would add, it just depends on the situation where you live. Said another way, make up your own mind.