Telemedicine can save lives offshore

Being prepared for the unexpected is a mandate when sailing offshore, even if it means asking for help. George Day offers a solution for medical emergencies in the Cruising Compass:

Over many years of making offshore passages, I’ve been on several boats on which a crew member had a medical emergency. On a trip through Windward Passage to Jamaica, a crew member formed a kidney stone that immobilized him with pain. Through HF radio and WOO, we called his doctor and got instructions for giving a shot of painkiller that eased the problem.

On a trip across the North Atlantic, a crew lost control of a halyard winch, the winch handle spun wildly and broke his arm. We had a doctor and splints on board, so we stabilized the arm and applied painkillers. The crew was okay. And, in the Tuamotus, a friend ate a reef fish and contracted ciguatera, a poison that can cause fatal suffocation. Luckily, a boat anchored nearby had a dentist onboard who carried EpiPens; one shot and the poisoning soon passed.

The point is that offshore or in remote locations medical emergencies do arise and having a well-stocked medical kit and access to professional medical advice will make all the difference.

Recently, I have come across a professional telemedicine organization called George Washington Maritime Medical Access that offers 24 hours phone consultation from a group of medical specialists who can handle just about every situation that might arise on a boat at sea. Several of the doctors are sailors, so they know what we are up to. To check out the group’s services and programs, click here.