Medical Advice Afloat

Have you ever been concerned about taking a long boat trip with an elderly passenger, or a passenger of any age with a physical condition? All vessel operators should use good judgment about who goes on an extended trip. There are a few things to think about. One thing that you might not be aware of is the availability of "medical advice" from the Coast Guard via your marine VHF radio.

The U.S. Coast Pilot names a few radio frequencies used by mariners that are outside of VHF radio range. In that case, mariners communicate with the Coast Guard over a single side-band radio with a range of thousands of miles. For recreational "coastal cruisers" and coastal commercial mariners, our marine VHF radio is our "lifeline" for medical advice.

In the event that you have a passenger with serious and worrisome symptoms, you can communicate with the U.S. Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16. Once you have stated your situation on the radio, the local Coast Guard Station has a procedure for providing you with advice from a competent medical professional.

When the radio watch-stander receives your call and determines that your situation requires a professional assessment, they initiate a conference call over the phone lines. Parties to that call are the local station, the Coast Guard Group Headquarters and the "medical professional" on duty. The radio operator relays information between you and the medical professional.

This Coast Guard service is a valuable one, especially in cases where the patient needs attention before you can reach your next port or even worse, if your vessel is disabled. The things that come to mind are heart attacks, strokes, seizures, etc. There are many other things that can occur that are beyond the "first-aid expertise" of the average mariner.

Certain merchant vessels are required to have a "medical person-in-charge" onboard. In such cases, due to the length of their voyages, the number of crewmembers, and other variables, a medical person-in-charge is required by law. The medical person-in-charge brings a higher level of medical expertise due to their training as well as the equipment and supplies that they keep on hand.

Even those of us that have taken first aid courses in the past can't be sure that we will remember what to do in an emergency. If we are wrong about the treatment, we may worsen the patient's condition. That patient may be a son, daughter, spouse, mother, father, friend, etc.

Do YOU remember all of the first aid procedures that you have learned in the past? What do you think you should you do for a person with heat exhaustion? Is plain water better or worse than water with a "pinch" of salt in it? Did you know that in a heat exhaustion victim, drinking plain water upsets the body's salt balance? This upset balance can cause cramps or other problems.

How about heat stroke? What are the differences between the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke? If you perform first aid frequently you'll have no trouble remembering it. How about the rest of us?

I suggest that you keep a "current" first aid book onboard with your first aid kit. You'll be glad you did.

Until next time, I wish you clear skies, fair winds, and calm seas!