Medical Flashcards
• Sources of medical information available
The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide’ is intended primarily for use on ships where no doctor is carried and it is necessary to assess and treat injuries and to diagnose and treat ill health. The guide can also be recommended for use in other situations where professional medical advice is not readily available, for example on expeditions.
For the 23rd edition the guide has been comprehensively rewritten reflecting modern best practices.
• Ships Captains medical guide contents
It contains:
• Flow charts to aid evaluation and treatment.
• Clear, authoritative advice and easy-to-follow guidance.
• Step-by-step illustrations to explain emergency procedures.
• Quick-reference lists regarding history and examination.
• Cross references to further detail.
• Anatomical illustrations.
Basic medical knowledge
When a ship is in port, or near to port where hospitals and other expert medical attention are available, the first aid treatment necessary aboard ship is similar to that practised ashore.
At sea, in the absence of these facilities, trained ships’ officers are required to give types of treatment beyond that accepted as normal first aid.
However, anyone aboard a ship may find a casualty and every seaman should know three basic life-saving actions to be given immediately while waiting for trained help to arrive. These are:
• To give artificial respiration by the mouth to nose/mouth method;
• To place an unconscious casualty in the unconscious position;
• To stop severe bleeding.
Priorities
On finding a casualty:
• Ensure your own safety;
• If necessary, remove the casualty from danger or danger from the casualty (but see the
note below on enclosed spaces);
• Give immediate treatment to the casualty who is not breathing and/or whose heart has
stopped, is bleeding severely or unconscious – others can be treated later;
• Send for help.
If there is more than one unconscious or bleeding casualty:
• Send for help;
• Treat the most serious injury first in the order of:
Not breathing and/or heart stopped; Unconsciousness;
Serious bleeding.
If the casualty is in an ENCLOSED SPACE:
• DO NOT enter the enclosed space unless you are a trained member of a rescue team
acting under instructions;
• Send for help and inform the Master.
It must be assumed that the atmosphere in the space is hostile. The rescue team MUST NOT enter unless wearing breathing apparatus which must also be fitted to the casualty as soon as possible. The casualty must be removed quickly to the nearest safe adjacent area outside the enclosed space unless his injuries and the likely time of evacuation makes some treatment essential before movement.
Body Norms
The body temperature, pulse rate and respiration should be recorded. You should make use of your temperature charts, or if no more charts are available, then your findings should be written down, together with the hour at which they were noted. These readings should be taken twice a day and always at the same hours, and more frequently if the patient is seriously ill.
Temp
Readings for an Adult: Hypothermia is 35.0 and below
Normal Temp is 36.9
Dangerous fever is 41 and above
Pulse Rate
Normal resting rate for Adults male is 65 to 80
Respiration Rate
Normal resting Respiration rate is 18-16 for Adult male
Medical evacuation (Medevac)
If medical evacuations are being considered, the benefits must be weighed against the inherent dangers of such operations to both the person needing assistance and to the rescue personnel.
When medical assistance is required, information as indicated below should be sent to the RCC. Other information may be necessary in certain cases.
§ Name of the vessel, flag, IMO number, radio call sign and telephone number.
§ Master’s name and nationality.
§ Shipowner/operator, nationality and contact details.
§ Patient’s name, age, gender, nationality, and language.
§ Patient’s respiration, pulse rate, temperature, and blood pressure.
§ Location of pain.
§ Nature of illness or injury, including apparent cause and related history.
§ Symptoms.
§ Type, time, form, and amounts of all medications given.
§ Time of last food consumption.
§ Ability of patient to eat, drink, walk, or be moved.
§ With accident cases, how the accident occurred.
§ Whether the vessel has a medicine chest, and whether a physician or other medically
trained person is on board.
§ Whether a suitable clear area is available for helicopter winch operations or landings.
§ Name, address and phone number of vessel’s agent.
§ Last port of call, next port of call, and ETA to next port of call.
Evacuation by helicopter
When arranging for the evacuation of a patient by helicopter, the following points should be considered.
§ Requesting helicopter assistance.
§ Arrange a rendezvous position as soon as possible if the vessel is beyond helicopter
range and must divert.
§ Give as much medical information as possible, particularly about the patient’s
mobility.
§ Advise immediately of any changes in the condition of the patient.
§ Preparation of patient before the helicopter arrives.
§ Move the patient to the helicopter pick-up, if so required.
§ Ensure the patient is tagged to show details of any medication which has been
administered.
§ Prepare the patient’s seaman’s papers, passport, medical record, and other necessary
documents in a package ready for transfer with the patient.
§ Ensure that personnel are prepared as necessary to move the patient to the special
stretcher (lowered by the helicopter) as quickly as possible.
§ The patient should be strapped in the stretcher face-up, in a lifejacket if condition
permits.
• Compensation for sickness injury or death in service
Where compensation is due to the seafarer and the amount payable is set out in the SEA, compensation must be paid within 14 days of the financial security provider being satisfied that the shipowner concerned is liable to pay compensation. In cases of long term disability, if it takes longer than 7 days from the point at which the ship owner becomes liable to determine the amount of compensation due and the seafarer is suffering hardship, interim payments may be made to the seafarer.
