Offshore Medical Kit

[rjcoles]

I'm bringing my boat back from the BVI's and need to have a medical kit for the crossing. I have had a look at "crew medic" kits, Medical stores for vessels cat A,B & C but don't have the space (or the money) for all the items they recommend. Does anyone have a list of first aid items and medications anti-biotics etc
for a crew of 6 for 25 days at sea?

 

[npf1]

I have a list that we used on a transat. It was provided by a doctor and based on a crew of 6 that were all healthy chaps aged between 35 and 60 ish. I'll try to dig it out tomorrow and post it.

 

[Gin]

This is beyond my experience but I hope I can make a couple of useful suggestions.

I carry Crew Medic 180 which is a useful starter but I do have concerns about anaphylactic shock and since my GP will not let me have Epipen, I now carry liquid Piriton as a substitute, and a Ventolin(Salbutamol) inhaler.

Secondly, as one who has raised a couple of children, I also would not be without the first level antibiotics- Amoxycillin.

I feel both of these items give me an opportunity to control a bad situation for a while.

I hope this helps

 

[Csail]

Suppose its who you know but our medi kit has all sorts of funny stuff like morphine , syringes etc. no idea how they work but between my mum & swmbo (Dr. & pharmacist) we have loads on board.When she gets home i will ask for plan for Atlantic medi kit. For the more serious stuff i reckon your family doctor might let you have it if you explain why you need it.

 

[Gin]

Thanks, but GP says no and I'm only offshore at most; others on here have said not necessary so i accept the situation.

My fear is to have to watch a casualty dying for want of medication but hopefully that is paranoia rather than reality

I tend to be OTT !!!

 

[rjcoles]

My Doc is looking into giving me a script for the Heavy stuff, but what should I be taking? It looks like there is a need for a booklet to cover the offshore sailers needs, somewhere between the ships doctor and the Red Cross manual plus a list of drugs etc. for the medical kit.

 

[Seafort]

What you need is one of these.

Captains Medical Guide

It covers most things including the certification req' to obtain class C drugs etc.

PS I you are at all paranoid (whoops) dont flick through it. Costs about £50 itself let alone the medical kit.


Dave.

 

[westernman]

[ QUOTE ]
My fear is to have to watch a casualty dying for want of medication but hopefully that is paranoia rather than reality

[/ QUOTE ]

No problem - the offshore medical kit (without the class C drugs) left on my boat when I bought her includes a body bag!

--

 

[tcm]

Satphone to falmouth praps my favorite bit of kit. I tend to fling money at medical gear so there's no "if only" later, hence splints and defib etc etc. Try to discourage superhero crew antics and tellem what a rubbish medic you are, eg show the hacksaw etc.
Our most used medic stuf is good skin ointment for stings grazes burns, ours is Flammazine, probly others.

 

[JayBee]

The Ship Captain's Medical Guide is the one that UK Merchant Ships carry.

The download here is free.

 

[Seafort]

Same site JayBee but.....

You can't beat the feel of a book though.

I bought rather than print and bind. It's surprising how often people pick it up for a flick through.

Dave.

 

[tcm]

Um, i wd be leery of the 'no money' gambit with yot in the BVI! If u have room for 6 you hav room for proper medikit. 150 man-days, things happen? Expect legals (and sleepless nights) if a proper medikit would hav sorted things. Satfone anyway at least?

 

[William_H]

I would suggest that you carefully follow the recommendations of one of the respected authorities on what to carry in First Aid Kit. ie Yachting association requirements for such a voyage. You can carry any further personal preferences etc.
By following a recognised authority you will be able to show that you have done the responsible thing so that in case of disaster you will be able to show that you did what was reasonable for the situation.(voyage)
By making up your own list you would not be so easily able to defend any shortcomings. olewill

 

[widgeon]

In addition to the Ship Captain's Medical Guide, referred to above, the MCA's recommendations on medical stores for various distances from land are here Merchant Shipping Notice. Although it includes a requisition form, I'm not sure that this will assist you in obtaining the controlled drugs.
I can thoroughly recommend the, 5 day in total, Medical First Aid at Sea (MFAAS) and Management of Casualties at Sea (MCAS) courses. The latter, in particular, is effectively a paramedic course focused on life offshore. I did mine with a company that specialise in offshore sailing (Volvo etc) and shore-based expeditions.

 

[npf1]

Below is the email I mentioned above, which was top up the bought kit: http://www.e-firstaidsupplies.com/first-aid-kit-50.html

"I,ve had a look through the various recommendations. Officially you come under category A but it seems over the top for a group of fit blokes. It,s probably designed to include cruises with elderly people. I,ve compiled a list for first aid kit and pharmaceuticals that I think might be suitable for you. All of the below are relatively cheap.

1) First aid kit

Waterproof, crushproof box
Adhesive tape
Finger bandage 2
Elastic bandages 10
Gauze pads assorted sizes
Antiseptic lotion eg TCP
Flamizine (burn wrap) various sizes
Scissors
Elastoplast
Eye wash solution
Eye pads 2
Suture kit for larger lacerations

2) Pharmaceuticals

a)Antibiotics

Amoxycillin
Trimethoprim
Ciprofloxacin
Chloramphenicol eye drops

b) Anti-emetics

Hyoscine
Stugeron
One in suppository form preferably

c) Analgesics

Paracetamol
Voltarol
Morphine sulphate

d) Dental

Oil of cloves
Chlorhexidine mouth wash

e)Miscellaneous

Aspirin 300mg tabs for heart attack
GTN spray for cardiac chest pain
Antihistamine eg astemizole 10mg
Frusemide 40mg (diuretic)
Ventolin inhaler
Cimetidine for indigestion.
Adrenaline with syringe (medical advice only)

Obviously things like oxygen, insulin etc can be life saving but how far do you go ? Maybe you can get some more advice on that. Trauma would seem to me to be the most likely hazard for you all."

BTW: I have the contact details for a couple of companies in the USA that can supply the varoius drugs required and mail them to the BVI. Howqever, it's probably best to get most here and then put them in checked baggage.

 

[whipper_snapper]

To add a couple of things:

First and foremost, it is the skipper's responsibility to get a medical history of all who will be sailing. There seems to be some 'shyness' over this, but you will be responsible for them and you absolutely need to know if they are on medication which seasickness will make unavailable, or they have an allergy to an antibiotic, or they have a history of stroke, heart problems, blood pressure problems, allergy, etc etc. If it is a significant or complex history you absolutely must have a written description plus a shore contact with a full history. That way you can make an attempt to manage them over the phone/radio even if they are not in a position to explain it themselves. Also make sure that someone else on board has access to the information if you are incapacitated.


At least 2 types of broad spectrum antibiotics are essential. I don't want to tell you what I use because I am not qualified to do so! But apart from minor injuries, almost the only thing you can 'cure' onboard are the bacterial infections that can make life miserable. For most other things, you are limited to stabilising and getting help, or stabilising and waiting for it to get better despite you! The training and books are mostly about helping you to decide which of those situations you are facing and minimising the damage from amateur interventions.

 

[Carolwildbird]

I'm puzzling over this too

Seems like a wide variety of prices for ocean type kits- from the basic to the very expensive (eg sea medic).
i was also looking at mountaineering kits such as this one from Lifesystems: http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/psec/first_aid_kits/mtn_leader_pro_first_aid_kit.htm

This seems to have a fairly comprehensive list of kit included compared to some of the other (marine) cheaper kits

any views?

 

[whipper_snapper]

I guess the point of my post was to emphasize that throwing money at a medical kit is very unlikely to make a difference to an outcome! Probably the most important lifesaving medical items on board are cling film and gaffer tape. Next rehydration systems (water, salt, sugar) and anti-emetics to prevent further dehydration. Next anti biotics. Then maybe heavy duty painkillers which can be lifesavers (as well as killers). Anti histamines can also be lifesavers - but rarely unless you have a known hyper sensitive person onboard.

I like npf1's kit above; not too much junk and reasonable cost.

The most important thing is to know what to do in a medical emergency, and only rarely will reaching for the medical kit be the most appropriate 1st response!

 

[rjcoles]

Thanks for all the info guys.
I have decided to follow npf1 recomendations along with the details I found in Anne Hammick's "Ocean Cruising On a Budget". If these don't work I have the body bag as a last resort!