[pct-l] Antibiotics

[roleigh at gmail.com]

Some good points here, but I'd like to add something of a personal experience. 

My sister and I did a 10 day hike traversing the Sierra late one fall. Once we began we could either go back the way we came or go forward to our end point - there were no side trails providing quicker egress, and the rangers had already left for the season. 

My sister always carries the extreme med kit and I am a moderate med kit kind of person. This particular hike she developed a mild eye irritation on day 2. On day 5 she began the course of broad spectrum antibiotic she was carrying as it became clear we were dealing with a serious problem here. We were exactly midpoint in the hike  Her eye was puffy and inflamed and hurting. Within a few days the infection began receding, and she finished the med  course and hightailed it to her doctor when she got back to Seattle. He told her that it was a serious infection inside her eye socket that, had she not reduced the infection rapidly, would likely have caused a permanent loss of vision. 

I'm just saying, s__t happens.  Now I carry a broad spectrum antibiotic with me when I'm heading out for a week or more, and I'll have one on my PCT thru hike this summer. 

I'm just saying...

Halo

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 25, 2012, at 2:43 PM, Matt Impey <matthewjimpey at gmail.com> wrote:

> The answer to this question can only be answered by you and your
> doctor. First make certain you have everything that you need for any known
> and suspected medical conditions. Then add anything that will make you feel
> confident in your preparation for the unexpected.
> 
> Personally in the backcountry my 1st aid kit is tape, ace bandages and
> ibuprofen, and I rely on finding help/evac if things get serious. On the
> other hand I know people who carry a fully stocked 1st aid kit so they can
> be prepared for most anything comes their way. Both strategies, and ones in
> the middle, work. Find the one that is best for you, which will be the med
> kit that you are confident in without feeling overstocked.
> 
> The thing with antibiotics is that you don't need them suddenly and
> unexpectedly; wounds don't instantly become infected in a moment, and
> giardia doesn't set in the second you drink it in. You will have time to
> anticipate what is happening to your body hours to days before it will
> happen, and will have time to go to help. If you cut your leg you know
> right away that there is a chance of infection, so keep an eye out for it.
> If you notice infection start preparing a contingency plan to get out. If
> you really really need antibiotics, the last place you want to be is on
> some trail, you want a doctor giving you your steady dose of prescription
> meds in a cushy bed. By not carrying antibiotics it forces me to evac,
> whereas if I had them I might wait too long to see if they will save me
> from scrapping my trip, and then end up in a worse situation. Basically if
> your body NEEDS antibiotics then the ones you have with you will not do all
> that much good. And if you don't need it, you don't need it.
> 
> Again though, talk to your doctor and decide for yourself what is best for
> you, but keep in mind that you can't plan for every "what if." At some
> point you are going to have to play the odds that certain things won't
> happen, but that uncertainty is what makes an it adventure.
> -Matt
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