Everyone should know how to make and use ORS, and have a supply of ingredients on hand, IMHO. Not necessarily for the current outbreak of flu, but as a basic,potentially lifesaving preparedness item.

See, e.g. http://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm

You can also buy prepared packets of ORS to mix with water.

Its good for treating dehydration associated with diarrhea, a major killer of children and a primary contributing cause of most deaths in many pandemic diseases.

I consider it one of the preparedness/survival basics.

is Gatorade the same thing?

As I understand it Gatorade is the same, but many critics say it is not. I have seen a lot of the quart sized containers go out the door at the BLM offices where I used to work ambulance. The fire crews swear by it.

In 2003 the World Health Organization and UNICEF doctors decided to update the formula for their recommended Oral Rehydration Salt solution that is given to patients with chronic diarrhea. As I understand the new formula for Gatorade (low sugar) was developed for that reason. Jeff McCann provided a link for O.R.S. although it does mention the old formula, the new formula does not recommend as much sugar. However, the link for O.R.S. does not mention the use of Potassium Chloride (salt substitute) like the W.H.O./UNICEF Formula does. Though you can get potassium from bananas, avocados, and eggs.

For the person who is ill and having trouble getting anything down and staying down (eaten) the recommended dehydration / diarrhea diet is the following. BTW this is the BRATY Diet.

Bananas-Mashed, usually the older the better to mash.
Rice-Brown or a long grain white, not instant, served as a gruel
Applesauce-homemade is best or look for low sugar. Nutrient.
Tea-Green has many known positive health effects aids in reabsorption of fluids.
Yogurt-helps restore the normal stomach flora thus calms the stomach.

Add to your list Benadryl (Antihistamine and sleep aid) ask your doctor before using to aid in sleep, but believe me if you are a care provider and you lose sleep you increase your own risk.

Your pain relief e.g Tylenol, etc. should be in liquid form. This makes it easier to swallow.

Any feverish person who sweats and soaks their sheets and clothes should have a change to dryer clothing/bedding as this will prevent hypothermia. I know this is considered "old school," but I have seen it actually work and it improves a persons comfort, so do bed baths if it comes to that.

REMEMBER: Children <5 and the Elderly are most susceptible to any pandemic.

Usual Warnings and Disclaimers apply to this information. When in doubt check with your physician.

Take care,

STARGAZER

Thanks, I called my Local Board of Physicians (all the doctors I have built houses for in my neighborhood), and asked, they say the lack of memory stems from a misspent youth and 9 concussions (yeah really 9, I raced motorcycles during the misspent youth)

Reyes Syndrome, seems like most folks have had the warning for some time. Just don't here about it any more.

Where have you been hiding??

No. Too much sugar/carbs and electrolytes. But diluted with about 4 parts water, it is passable as a rehydrating drink.

Pulling out of a major health nosedive, but I'm doing better now. Thanks.

For rehydration I prefer Ringer's Lactate solution. It replaces most of the essential electrolytes and reduces acidosis, which can accompany such ilnesses. It's usually given intravenously, but can be ingested easily enough, and doesn't taste bad.

I'd just like to jump in here and thank all the participants in this thread for this information. I'm just now going through the home inventory on a replenishment/replacement mission and these lists are so helpful.

Ah, the neti pot. One of those things that I have picked up and have continued to use daily even many years later, so definitely a very useful thing. Don't forget having enough non-iodized salt for the neti pot or gargling.

Normally, cool/very lukewarm water in the neti pot is typically not desirable since the shock of the cool water actually tends to stuff up my nasal passages, but sometimes when I have a fever, it does feel pleasantly cool and probably does help cool your head temporarily.

Although you do have bleach on the list, a disinfecting spray would be convenient to quickly spray surfaces like door knobs and other items on a regular basis, especially in a sick room. Bleach works but it can damage things so I wouldn't want to rely solely on bleach as my disinfectant.

If you or any family members require prescriptions meds on an ongoing basis and you don't already use a mail-order refill service, you might want to look into that possibility. A pharmacy is probably one of the last places I would want to linger around in during some pandemic with all these other people, some of whom may be sick. Or get acquainted with the call-ahead-and-pick-up service. Some people regularly go to a hospital pharmacy and during some pandemic, I imagine that access to the hospital will be severely restricted, which may mean you are better of finding another pharmacy. Or perhaps get a bigger supply of meds, but as we've discussed in the past, that can be very difficult for most people to obtain, especially when insurance is paying for it.

A couple of small random thoughts:

I got a group e-mail from my DMAT admin. officer a couple of days ago, asking if I spoke Spanish had one of the special government passports. Hmmm. Yesterday, I got one checking on my immune system health. I suspect this is just forward thinking by our local command staff (the best leaders I have ever worked with) rather than a national thing, but I have heard that some anti-virals from the national pharmaceutical stockpile have been partially deployed.

National and international disease surveillance and cooperation seems to be working very well, doesn't it? A benefit from H5N1 "bird flu" preps, I guess, as well as good experience and practice for a really nasty future pandemic to come.

The interaction of public health, national politics, and mass media has been interesting to watch, at least for a public health geek like me.

This strain's emergence comes as a surprise, but it's not a particularly bad one, it seems. Time will tell. It also seems susceptible to current anti-virals.

Stay well. You guys know how already. Personally, I'm screwed, since I'm bound to get repeatedly exposed if it comes my way, an occupational hazard.