Welcome to the 1st Aid Site!
Everything First Aid Related...

Why bother to have an emergency preparedness kit on hand?

With the threat of radiation looming over the heads of Californians, does having any type of an emergency kit really matter? Sound like we're gonna die anyway. Potassium Iodide Tablets won't help a person if they don't know when to use them.

So, would any of you bother to gather supplies in case there's some type of a disaster on the horizon?
........or would just just "WING IT" & take things as they come?

Public Comments

1. The whole purpose of the kit is to mitigate the effects of the potential risk. Without it, then you are basically left without some protection. Its better to be prepared than to be ill prepared and suffer more damage. One thing you must remember, precaution is better than opening yourself up to total risk. But your question is moot because from what I heard about the radiation, its not likely to spread from Japan to California. The likely scenario is that the radiation will go out to see, which means the water will dilute it leaving those on the west coast safe from harm.

2. Literally on the horizon? So far (this coming week) there will be no radiation traveling from Japan to the US - the winds aren't blowing that way.

Living in earthquake country, where this is a great chance of a large earthquake in the next thirty years, we would rather have food to eat, water to drink, and shelter in the event of an earthquake. Also, we would not want to put additional stress on a system that would be caring for people who are either injured, or who had no such kit.

We figure the cost of being prepared is small compared to the discomfort caused by having nothing on hand.

Clearly, one week's worth of supplies is not enough.

3. If your iodine stores are full then you don't need an "emergency dose" but you have to take it daily.

It is best to take iodide prophylactically, prior to exposure. Every family should have a good supply in their homes. At this time we may recommend taking 10-40mg per day. A dose of 30-50mg is the range of dietary intake in Japan and relatively safe to take long term but under practitioner monitoring. Build up gradually: 10mg-20mg-30mg-40mg.

Then, in case there is an official announcement of significantly increased radiation, adults should go to the emergency dose: 130mg/day and children to lower doses per body weight, generally 65 mg, age 3-12 years. You can use a loading dose of two drops daily of Lugol's Iodine, a commonly available pharmaceutical form of potassium iodide, or SSKI, and increase to 130 mg if needed. See the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

Other supplements that may be protective are: vitamin D and vitamin K as they support appropriate apoptosis, which is programmed death of cells that accumulate various DNA errors (due to radiation and other causes), and vitamin D also supports DNA repair.

Avoid exposure to rain that may be laden with radiation if we are exposed. You'll be informed by authorities if that is the case.

One of the greatest dangers following a nuclear accident comes from exposure to gases containing radioactive isotopes of iodine. These highly carcinogenic isotopes are readily taken up by the thyroid gland, resulting in the development of thyroid cancer. Exposure to radioactive iodine calls for immediate treatment with another form of iodine, potassium iodide, to saturate the thyroid and block the absorption of radioactive iodine. .

Potassium Iodide (KI)
Potassium iodide tablets are commonly stockpiled near nuclear power plants to allow for rapid distribution in case of a radioactive accident. In the absence of tablets, potassium iodide may also be administered as a "saturated solution of potassium iodide" (SSKI) which in the U.S.P. generic formulation contains 1000 mg of KI per ml of solution. Two drops of U.S.P. SSKI solution is equivalent to one 130 mg KI tablet (100 mg iodide).

Recommended Doses
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the following doses of potassium iodide should be taken as a single dose within three hours of exposure, or up to 10 hours after exposure, although this is less effective.

• Adults : 130 mg ?
• Adolescents: 12-18: WHO -- adult dose; CDC -- children's dose; if adult size (150 pounds or over) they should take the full adult dose, regardless of their age.
• Children age 3-12 years: 65 mg?
• Infants : 1 mo. to 3 years, 32. 25 mg (ie half tablet)
• Newborns to 1 mo., 1/4 capsule.


Precautions
While potassium iodate can be taken by a majority of people without any problems, it should only be used in case of a nuclear emergency. Doses in excess of the single (one time only) daily dose listed above should be taken only upon recommendation by a physician or public health authority. Patients should notify their doctor if taking quinidine, captopril, or enalopril, or if they are sensitive to iodine, or suffer from dermatitis herpetiformis, thyrotoxicosis or kidney problems before taking potassium iodate (or any thyroid blocker).

Other Radiation Dangers
Besides I-131, there are other toxic radio-isotopes, including cerium 137 and plutonium. To protect yourself from cesium poisoning, consume plenty of high potassium foods, as potassium competitively inhibits cesium uptake. Foods high in potassium include avocados, sea vegetables, & leafy green vegetables, and are more effective than taking a potassium supplement.

To protect yourself from plutonium poisoning, eat lots of dulse & consume iron from plant sources, namely sea algaes such as spirulina and chlorella, which provide more iron than red meat. Miso soup has also been shown to have a protective effect. The mineral, zeolite, is being investigated for taking most radioactive materials out of the body.

Additionally, foods and supplements high in antioxidants, will also help the body cope with these higher toxic levels as radioactive materials cause antioxidant depletion and ill health.

Summary
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has admitted it is 'quite possible' that fallout from the Japanese reactors could reach America, though levels expected to be so low as to be almost undetectable. Given the unprecedented circumstances of the current crisis, though, it would be prudent to keep some potassium iodide on hand as a precautionary measure.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hyla-cass-md/radiation-risks-and-prote_b_836363.html

4. Even here in Michigan iodide tablets are flying off the shelf. It's no big deal to anyone other than the manufacturers of iodide tablets. They are having fun with this.

5. I liked what Dr.Nancy Snidermann said on NBC Nightly News.If you must buy the tablets please donate them to the people in Japan.

6. Eliot K has it right. The kits of use are for earthquake scenarios. In the event of an earthquake, be
prepared to be on your own for at least 72 hours. For radiation fall-out, there's precious little that can
be done. Stay indoors, masks and stored food.

7. There is no threat of radiation to anybody in America. So stop spreading fear. You can be like others and buy a stash of pills, you'll just be wasting money. There are plenty other reasons not to live in California, radiation isn't one of them. Yes, you should always have an emergency kit.