Preparing for Offshore Sailing and Medical Emergencies at Sea | Harbors Unknown Ep. 26

Today we are discussing the types of medical emergencies that may occur at sea, how you can prepare for them and how to approach them if they do happen. Please note the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Dr. Wayne Lee, an emergency physician, and experienced sailor, is joining us today. If anyone is qualified to discuss this topic it’s him. The way we’d like to approach this is to first classify the types of emergencies that can happen while crossing an ocean. The author William Buckley spoke of preparing for emergencies at sea in one of his books, and categorized them in terms of the amount of time available to deal with the issue. Each one of those problems requires pre-planning. Medical emergencies that occur while sailing at sea can be approached in the same way, compartmentalizing them three main categories. Minor manageable injuries on the boat you can deal with and keep going, more severe injuries where you have time to get somewhere to deal with them and lastly, the emergent situation. You can also think through the lens of personnel, planning, and equipment, with planning being the most important. Equipment is the medication, splints, sutures, etc. Finally, consider who’s on board and what may happen to them. Watch now to learn the most common medical emergencies, and what supplies to have on board when sailing offshore.

Below is a list of the supplies mentioned in the video. Some are affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from. Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this video, give it a thumbs up, drop a comment down below, share it with a friend and subscribe!

Chipped Cracked Broken Teeth Repair Kit: https://amzn.to/3uI4kXB

COOK EMERGENCY PNEUMOTHORAX SET: https://www.liveactionsafety.com/cook-emergency-pneumothorax-set/

NAR Tactical Surgical Cricothyroidotomy Kit (Tactical CricKit®) https://www.rescue-essentials.com/nar-tactical-surgical-crickit/

Dover Red Rubber Robinson Catheter: https://bit.ly/2PPIsL0

Medline Two-Way Silicone-Elastomer Coated Latex Foley Catheter: https://bit.ly/3t6lKwA

Sterile Skin Stapler: https://amzn.to/3fZmHDg

Ear Wax Removal Tool Kit: https://amzn.to/3wIC7BH

Lightning X Extra Large Medic First Responder EMT Trauma Bag Stocked First Aid Deluxe Fill Kit C: https://amzn.to/3dN7u5r