To bring better service to our customers, Wilderness Medical Systems has affiliated with a specialist in travel medicine.

Arthur S. Dover, M.D. is a diplomate of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of the clinical section of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene and the International Society for Travel Medicine. He has practiced primary care medicine since 1975, has traveled extensively, and resided in Latin America. Formerly of the Parasitic Diseases Branch of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control (US Public Health Service), he has advised hundreds of volunteer teams for medical charity missions around the world.


In short, this is the kind of medical expert to have on your side. You can arrange an on-line or telephone consultation with him to get medications appropriate to your destination and activities.   Once you complete a health history and itinerary, he can provide appropriate prescriptions for malaria, jet lag, severe bacterial infections, altitude sickness, et al. along with a list of recommended immunizations, customized for your health status and travel plan.

If after returning from your adventure, you are not feeling well, any number of things from simple to serious, can be wrong. We at WMS suggest you remove the element of doubt -- contact Dr. Dover for an after-trip consultation.

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER
Depending on how remote your destination, your planned length of stay, your interest and training in wilderness emergencies, prescription medications can be vital. If you are going somewhere truly remote like the rainforests of the Central African Republic, or the high Pamirs of Tajikistan, prescription medications are essential because they allow you to deal with conditions such as :

allergic reactions,

uncomplicated infections,

burns,

traveler's diarrhea,

mild altitude sickness,

pain management*,

nausea/vomiting.

malarial protection,

and other acute or urgent medical conditions

Here are some specific Rx ideas to consider:

ANA-STING KIT (for emergency treatment of allergic reaction, especially those which can cause a rapidly fatal reaction known as anaphylaxis often resulting from the sting of various species of bees, wasps, hornets... )

ANTI-MALARIALS (various) (malaria prevention highly dependent on destination)

BACTROBAN (skin lesions)

CEPHALEXIN (antibiotic for skin, soft tissue, wound infection)

CIMETIDINE 300mg. (anti-ulcer medication)

CIPRO 500mg. (antibiotic to treat traveller's diarrhea)

DEXAMETHASONE 4 mg. (high altitude sickness treatment )

DIAMOX 250 mg. (high altitude sickness prevention)

DOXYCYCLINE (inexpensive & can serve for urinary,intestinal and respiratory infections, and also has activity against malaria, leptospirosis, and African tick fever)

GENTAMYCIN OPTH (antibacterial eye drops)

LOREZAPAM 1 mg. (mild, long acting sedative)

NAPROXEN 550 mg. (potent anti-inflammatory & pain medication)

SILVADENE CREAM (burn wound antibiotic)

STADOL 6 ml. (2mg/ml - synthetic morphine equivalent)

TYLENOL #3 (intermediate strength pain medication)

ZITHROMAX Z-PACK (respiratory infection)

* On the subject of pain management in a remote area medical emergency, let me say only this -- BE PREPARED. I hear lots of stories from people who have suffered serious injuries in remote locations. Before he bought one of our medical kits, one fellow told me about his car wreck in the Northern Territories of Australia, where he had his pelvis broken. It was very painful. It took 18 hours to get him to an Aboriginal clinic, where they had nothing stronger than aspirin, and another 18 hours until he got to a decent hospital. Pain management is obviously of great concern in a situation like this.

(By the way, at the time he did NOT have and wished he had the WORLDWIDE DIAL-A-DOCTOR, MEDICAL EVACUATION & MEDICAL REPATRIATION SERVICES , but he subsequently signed up for an annual membership.)