Medical Director's Desk 

As I write this it is the first anniversary of typhoon Katrina causing massive damage to New Orleans and other areas of the Louisiana coast. As more storms build up in the Atlantic’s hurricane season it serves to remind us of how perilous life on the sea can be, and how much we may be subject to nature’s whims.

Anticipation and preparation are vital if yachts are to have maximum safety when at sea. In the areas in which we are involved at Ocean Medical International that means keeping your medical supplies and medical training up to date.

A refresher course is now available for seafarers who have received training in Proficiency in Medical Care Onboard Ship (previously known as Ship’s Captains Medical Course) 5 or more years ago. This 3-day update course is a requirement for re-certification of Master Mariners (the old Class 4) license, and can be undertaken at our Palma de Mallorca facility.

Dr Ian Marshall,  Medical Director

• Product recall - Guedal airways

We recently received notification from the manufacturer of the Guedal airways, we provide, of a manufacturing fault.  The Guedal airways are located in the front flap section of the Emergency Grab Bag.

We will automatically replace faulty airways with new ones during your next scheduled medical kit update, free of charge.  Please let us know if you have the faulty airway during the update.

The affected products are easily identifiable by:

• The Lot number of the affected products start with the year of manufacturer e.g. 2005 B 15
• The Lot number of products that are NOT affected by the recall are in the following format - WO*******.  These do not need to be returned.
• The transparent individual pouch containing the airway has a 30mm white strip on the reverse side
• Printed on this strip are the manufacturing details and lot number.
• The lot number starts with the year of manufacturer
• Both the individual pouch & the carton are marked with the following address:

Universal Hospital Supplies Ltd
Unit 6 George House
Delta Park Industrial Estate
Milmarsh Lane, Enfield, EN3 7QJ.

• Medicine at Sea - Uses of Oxygen
  

We have recently updated the instructions for use of oxygen and will be supplying the revised instructions with your next medical supplies update. It is a laminated quick reference instruction sheet to be stored in the oxygen bag.

In summary, this easy to use information sheet lets you know the correct settings for the flow of oxygen and the corresponding setting on the variable flow mask.

Your OMI oxygen kit includes two sorts of masks. Variable flow masks that allow accurate assessment of the percentage of oxygen supplied to the patient. This ranges from 24% to 50%. In people with chronic respiratory disease it is possible to give too much oxygen and induce respiratory failure (I know this sounds wrong but it is correct!). People with known, longstanding respiratory problems, or where there is doubt, should always be started on 24% oxygen and the amount increased slowly while monitoring response, and not exceeding 28%. The other mask, with an external reservoir bag attached, is a 100% oxygen mask and should only be used for diving accidents and decompression sickness.

Oxygen cylinders should be re-filled after each use, or every 3 years if not used. Every 10 years a fuller examination of the cylinder is required, including a pressure test, and if necessary replacement of the O-ring seal. The oxygen bottle will have the date of the last examination stamped on the neck of the bottle and there should be a sticker on the bottle stating the last re-fill date.

• New MCA Class C Medical  Kit - The Essential Kit

• Fall Yacht Shows