wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 21:49:24 -0400, gary wrote:

On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 21:48:36 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:

We have a young man in our hospital, who is in a rather sad state. He is
intubated and on life support for bacterial mennigitis and his prognosis
for
recovery is not good.

2 years ago a fisherman on the cape died from the so-called flesh
eating bacteria from contracted from striper's mouth apparently. I
always dowse myself in those anti-bacterial handwashes once off the
the water. Waste of time, IYO?

We carry a large bottle of a solution of bleach and water on all boats,
and I carry a smaller bottle with me any time there is the slightest
danger of such bacteria. About 5% household chlorine bleach ("Clorox"
or similar, but not, AFAIK, ANY of the bleach substitutes) and 95% water
is what I mix, but take care not to get it on anything you don't want
bleached. A $1.50USD gallon of bleach will make 20 gals or disinfecting
solution, which I suspect is a lot cheaper than the waterless antibac
stuff.

The active ingredient in household chlorine bleach is sodium hypochlorite,
typically in a 3-6% aqueous solution. This is very powerful stuff! The 5%
solution Richard refers to above is, as he notes, a REsolution......5 parts
of the stuff from the bottle to 95 parts water. This is important! Even at
this strength it is an extremely effective topical disinfectant.....it is
used (though often at twice the concentration) routinely in decontaminating
medical and other biological facilities and equipment. It should NOT be
taken internally or forced into deep wounds. When used as a topical
disinfectant it should be rinsed off thoroughly with clean water....residue
won't kill you, but even at this low concentration it can cause chemical
"burns" if left in contact with skin for prolonged periods.

As Richard suggested, non-chlorine bleaches are pretty much worthless as a
substitute for this purpose.

That said......

Can't hurt to take it along if you've got the space and the inclination.
However, if one takes commensurate measures to deal with every potential
hazard and affliction one is likely to encounter, one will go through life
with a crippling burden of paraphernalia and chemicals. The mere
application of all the sunscreens, antiseptics, repellants, unguents,
analgesics, palliatives, restoratives and the rest of the chemical arsenal
currently available would probably kill an otherwise robustly healthy
individual......not to mention the skeletal stress induced by carrying all
of that ****.

Wolfgang
who is giving serious consideration to leaving the pathologist, the
diagnostician, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and the laboratory behind
on future trips astream.