Medical
First aid and medical care on board, from assessment to radio medical advice.
Topics in study order
- 1.Patient Assessment: History Taking and Examination
On board there is no doctor to hand the patient over to. The officer in charge of medical care must collect a structured history and perform a systematic examination, then pass a clear picture to the Radio Medical Advice service. This article covers the method: what to ask, in what order, how to examine, and what to record.
12 cards
1 Nov 2026 - 2.Practical Procedures: Wounds, Vital Signs and Tests
How to examine, clean and close a wound on board (strips, glue, staples, sutures), prevent infection and tetanus, take vital signs and run simple bedside tests (blood pressure, SpO2, blood glucose, urine dipstick), and keep the ship hygienic. These hands-on skills let you treat and monitor a casualty and give radio medical advice accurate figures.
12 cards
1 Nov 2026 - 3.Emergency Response, Radio Medical Advice and Medical Records
How to take charge of a medical emergency on board: scene safety, the primary and secondary surveys, ongoing care with the R's, a PAN-PAN radio medical advice call in ISBAR order, and the medical report. Getting this sequence right protects the casualty at sea and is the backbone of the MCA medical care scenario.
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1 Nov 2026 - 4.CPR, AED and Choking
Adult, child and infant CPR, AED use and shockable rhythms, adrenaline in advanced life support, and choking treatment for every age group. These are the first-response skills that keep a casualty alive at sea until radio medical advice or evacuation, and a core part of the MCA medical exam.
12 cards
1 Nov 2026 - 5.Airway, Breathing and Oxygen Therapy
How to keep an unconscious casualty's airway open and give oxygen safely on board: Guedel and nasal airways, flow rates and SpO2 targets, cylinder safety, GCS and the recovery position. Core hands-on skills for the MCA medical care exam, where there is no doctor on board.
10 cards
1 Nov 2026 - 6.Bleeding, Shock and IV Fluids
How to recognise and control bleeding on board (pressure, dressings, tourniquets, neck wounds, amputations), and how to spot and manage shock: circulation checks, haemorrhagic shock classes, IV fluids and drip-rate maths. With no doctor on board, these skills keep a trauma casualty alive until evacuation, and they are core MCA medical care exam material.
12 cards
1 Nov 2026 - 7.Burns: Assessment, First Aid and Dressing
How to assess a burn on board (depth, size by the rule of nines, chemical, electrical and inhalation burns), stop the burning and cool it, dress it, and replace lost fluid with the Parkland formula. With no doctor on board, these steps limit shock, infection and scarring, and they are core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 8.Fractures, Splints and Spinal Injuries
How to recognise and manage fractures, dislocations and spinal injuries on board: blood loss, open fractures, splints, the femur traction splint, the cervical collar, log-roll, stretchers and helicopter hi-line. Good immobilisation limits pain, bleeding and paralysis until evacuation, and it is core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 9.Head Injury and Brain Disorders
How to recognise and manage head injuries on board (brain bleeds, skull-base fracture, compression, concussion) and the main brain disorders: headache red flags, seizures, stroke and TIA, and meningitis. With no doctor on board, spotting deterioration early and calling radio medical advice fast protects the brain, and it is core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 10.Poisoning and the MFAG
How poisons enter the body and how to treat them on board: the core poisoning drill, chemicals on the skin, the IMDG Code, MSDS and MFAG, the methanol antidote, anaphylaxis and asthma. With no doctor on board, knowing where to look and what to give buys time until evacuation, and it is core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 11.Medical Conditions on Board
The everyday and emergency illnesses met at sea: chest pain and heart problems, the acute abdomen, diabetes, urinary, sexual and gynaecological problems, infections and sepsis, eyes, ENT, teeth, skin and mental health. Spotting the danger signs and starting treatment keeps a crew member safe until radio medical advice or evacuation, and it is core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 12.Drugs, Pain Relief and Medical Stores
How a ship keeps its medical stores under MSN 1905, handles controlled drugs, chooses medicines, assesses pain and climbs the analgesic ladder, and gives injections safely. With no doctor on board, the right drug at the right dose by the right route is the officer's job, and it is core MCA medical care exam material.
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1 Nov 2026 - 13.Evacuation, Environmental Injuries and Death at Sea
How to care for castaways and rescued people (hypothermia, cold and heat injuries, dehydration), how to confirm, record and handle a death at sea, and how to move a casualty and prepare them for helicopter evacuation. A core MCA medical subject where the wrong instinct, like rubbing frostbite, ice baths or declaring death too early, can cost a life.
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1 Nov 2026