List of items for medical care and first aid kit

[CabezonBD]

Hi All
I tried a few searches as I am pretty sure this has been asked and answered but I couldn't find what I am looking for. Next month we are starting our retirement aboard our new to us Hylas 49 to start our cruising life.

Our medical insurance plan will change and we will be saying goodbye to our primary doctors. My doctor has been good enough to help us by filling our prescription requests to stock our first aid kit. Does such a list of recommended supplies exist? Please help by providing a link or list of items.

Our boat is currently on the East Coast but we will be eventually going to the Bahamas, Caribbean, perhaps Grenada, through the Canal, Central America, and on to the South Pacific.

My wife and I are both 62 and are in good health with daily exercise. Any help would be great as our time is soon that we will be losing our doctors.

Thanks

[monte]

Yes there are some good threads on this. Unfortunately the site search doesn't help much. Try type in google crusersforum.com: first aid kit for better results.
Here's one thread
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...0-a-72400.html

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by CabezonBD

Any help would be great as our time is soon that we will be losing our doctors.

There are lot of new to you doctors in your new where-abouts.

[k9medic]

Get a copy of "Where there are no doctors"

Books and Resources | Hesperian Health Guides

[seasick]

The following link is to a pdf copy of Where There is no Doctor. Medication list begins on page 341


http://www.pathobiologics.org/mmp/op..._2011_full.pdf

[Sailor647]

Congrats on the new beginning!

We took the Offshore Emergency Medical Course from Jeff Issac. So worth it! What a fantastic teacher and informative course. He teaches two courses on the east course, one in Maine, one in Florida. We got enough people together to have Jeff visit Portland Oregon.

The link is posting correctly: so look up Wildmed dot com on the web.

Here is our list of medications that we have onboard. The prescriptions are kept in the safe. We also keep all the accompanying prescription paperwork in a binder to prove they are legal drugs. (Jeff goes over all this in class.)

Please excuse the formatting...copied it from an Excel spreadsheet to Word, to here.

MERCK MEDICAL MANUAL – for help in diagnosis before calling Physician on SSB ship to shore.

BEE STINGS / INSECT BITES / SPIDER BITES
Rx Adrenaline (Epinephrine) 1:1000 Solution Vials / Syringe
Rx Prednisone 5 mg tablets
Rx Clobetasol .05% ointment Hydrocortisone severe skin conditions

ANTIBIOTICS
Rx Amoxicillin 250 mg tablets UTI, ear, sinusitis, respiratory infections.
Rx Azithromycin 500 mg tablets Diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia, skin infections
Rx Ciprofloxacin 500 mg Tablets UTI, ear infections, marine pathogens (N/A for staph or strep.)
Rx Ciprofloxacin .3% Opthamalic drops for eye infection
Rx Fluconazole (antifungal) Tablet Vaginal yeast infection
Rx Metronidazole .75% Vaginal Gel Bacterial Vaginosis
Rx Metronidazole (Flagyl) *severe side effects 500 mg tablets Giardia, Amebiasis
Rx Mupirosin (Bactroban) Ointment Skin infections. Treats most strains of MRSA.
Rx Neomycin/polymycin/ hydrocortisone) Otic Solution Drops Inner ear infection. (swimmer's ear)
Rx Silver Sulfadiazine Cream Burns, skin infection
Rx Trimethoprim/suphamethoxizole (Septra) DS Tablets MRSA skin infections, UTI, sinusitis

Rx IV Fluid - Sterile .9% saline, 5% dextrose/.09% saline Fluid bag
Rx Aqua C Hydration System - hypodermoclysis Norfolk Medical
Rx Oxygen Tanks – 2 for scuba related injuries

PAIN MANAGEMENT
Rx Oxycodone (Percocet) Pain relief
Rx Hydrocodone Pain relief
Rx Lidocain 1% Injection IM Local Anesthetic
Rx Lidocain 2% Viscous Local Anesthetic
Rx Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg tablet Pain relief
Rx Morphine tablets Pain relief
Rx Ondansetron HCL tablets Nausea
Rx Lorazepam 1 mg Anxiety

OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS
OTC Activated Charcoal Tablets/capsules Food poisoning, diarrhea, Ciguatera poisoning
OTC Afrin Nasal decongestant Congestion, equalizing problems, stops nose bleeds
OTC Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 25 mg capsules
OTC Betadine liquid Antiseptic for skin/wound cleaning
OTC Deet Insect Repellant spray, cream prevents insect bites
OTC Dramamine Tablets/capsules Sea sickness
OTC Lamisil Cream/Ointment Athlete's Foot
OTC Neosporin/Bacitracin Ointment Mild skin infections
OTC Nix Shampoo Lice
OTC Mineral Oil Oil Constipation
OTC Omeprazole Tablets Heartburn
OTC Sunscreen Lotion/Spray Prevents sunburn
OTC Syrup of Ipecac Liquid Induce Vomiting

In our medical kit, we have the usual bandages, Sam's splint, stuff to make a cast, surgical instruments (for wound cleaning), stethoscope, otoscope, blood pressure cuff, (to report vital signs to onshore doc if needed). Jeff provides a list in class. We shopped for most of it on Amazon. The local hospital provided the IV fluid bags and syringes, which were really inexpensive.

All in all, we have about $1,500 invested in prescriptions (covered by insurance) and medical supplies. Not including the DAN (divers alert network) oxygen tanks. Those were another $800, but we are active scuba divers.

Highly recommend taking the Offshore Emergency Medical course. All this stuff is useless unless you know how to properly use it. And, the medications could be downright dangerous or deadly if used improperly.

[geoffr]

Here is a good list from a woman who left her ER doctor position before sailing around the world: Alayne & Alec Main - Medical Kit

[kaerou]

I preparation for a "beyond a doctor's cabinet" cruise, I also did an "Offshore Emergency Medical" course, in France. With it came (well...not free, hey..) a full medical kit. That medical kit is of the kind that Solo racers of the Vendée Globe have on board. The kits are all identical, with coulour coded pouches containing various medical tools and bandages. A comprehensive list of all items is also joined. When an emergency occurs where a sailor needs a medical intervention that does not need an evacuation*, the sailor gets in touch with the Toulouse based High seas medical centre. The medic from the centre can then tell the sailor step by step what items to use and in which coloured pouch to find them. All sailors also have an identical medicine chest.
The advantage of this system is of course that now one can do one's own intervention with the 'remote' guidance of a doctor.
*Bertrand de Broc, Vendée Globe 1992-93, sew his tongue back...