Ditch Medicine: Advanced Field Procedures For Emergencies [Paperback]

Hugh Coffee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1993

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 infected wound, IV therapy, pain control, amputations, treatment of burns, airway procedures and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugh Coffee is a professional paramedic with extensive experience administering emergency medicine in Third World and battlefield environments. His many specialities include improvising medical equipment from available materials and performing disaster-medicine procedures under primitive conditions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581603908
• ISBN-13: 978-1581603903
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled. This book is good, but not what you think., May 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ditch Medicine : Advanced Field Procedures for Emergencies (Paperback)

If one normally carries adrenaline doses, I.V. needles, bags, tubes, and other medical paraphinalia including a wide rage of antibotics into the field with one's self, then this is the book for him or her.

Frankly I was disappointed with the content of this book. I was looking for a book that would educate me on the do's and don't's of treating a wounded person in the wild, away from any hospital or civilization, and with just the bear neccessitites. Instead, what I got was a book that assumes it's readers carry drugs and anti-biotics around with them. This book would be a great field guide for an EMT.

109 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good - as far as it goes, February 23, 2003

By 

Keith Lamb - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ditch Medicine : Advanced Field Procedures for Emergencies (Paperback)

I was a disappointed with this book mainly because I had such high expectations. As a wilderness first responder on third-world country trips, I wanted a simple but definitive guide for use in locations here NO doctor or hospital was available. There is definitely a real need for such a book, but this isn't it.

Books and manuals of this type assume one of two things, either 1) there really IS definitive care available to the responder, OR 2) the responder has all the drugs, gear, and education they need on their own.

Of the two, this book is #2 - it just point-blank assumes you have ready access to injectables and emergency prescription drugs and gear. If you don't, be advised that this book will not help you very much.

The second problem I had with this book was that the descriptions and photos are of very poor quality. Having done some of these procedures I can tell you that in general the descriptions and photos are just not clear or complete enough to be able to do these procedures correctly and appropriately. Maybe the author's [costly] videos would be a much better investment.

Finally, the book is small and just leaves out a WHOLE BUNCH of even more commonly needed procedures. It is also not very current.

What is included is ok, its just that this book falls short of the need. I would really have liked to see the author tell us where to access the medications and gear he assumes you have. Oh, and I mean LEGALLY.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gets no better than this, March 14, 2003

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ditch Medicine : Advanced Field Procedures for Emergencies (Paperback)

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 pictures

Would 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