International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers

Published: April 2023

When a seafarer or fisher becomes sick or is injured at sea, it is up to one of their fellow crew members to provide medical relief until professional medical services can be reached. This person will have had limited medical training on shore, as required under the STCW Convention, but is not a fully-trained doctor. When confronted with a medical emergency far from land, the person responsible for medical care relies on telemedical assistance services (TMAS), the medicines and equipment available in the on board medicine chest, and the on board medical guide for support.

This modern and practical medical guide from ICS has been written and reviewed by an international group of maritime medical practitioners and experts with many years' experience of working with and training seafarers and fishers. It can be used on board all ships and fishing vessels, anywhere in the world, and in onshore safety departments, medical assistance centres and training institutions who support seafarers and fishers.

The International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers is:

1. International and applicable globally 

• Terminology and medical guidance is recognised and applicable globally
• Medicines and equipment are available globally, right now
• Reviewed and approved by international organisations representing shipowners, seafarer unions and maritime health professionals
• Latest medical knowledge from maritime medical practitioners from every continent available in one guide

2. Comprehensive and up-to-date

• Guidance on all injuries, illnesses and health issues experienced on ships and fishing vessels
• Brand new chapters not available in existing international guides, including a chapter on assessing and treating mental health
• Action cards address emergency situations and can be carried in the medical bag for quick access
• Updated Ship’s Medicine Chest includes medicines and equipment that are easy to source anywhere in the world, right now

3. Practical and user-friendly

• Easy-to-use format for a non-medical professional to navigate and apply in a medical situation
• 3D visual aids, tables, charts and assessment forms to help crew follow procedures correctly and find the most important information quickly
• Print and digital ebook formats available to give shipping companies flexibility and confidence that a guide will always be available in a way that suits crews and voyages
• Comprehensive index includes symptoms to help readers find what they need quickly

Featuring a foreword from Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and written in collaboration with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and International Maritime Health Association (IMHA).

The £225 RRP includes:

• The International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers, 608pp, full colour, A4 half-Canadian. Includes 10 A5 laminated action cards, full colour; and
• The Ship’s Medicine Chest to accompany the International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers, 60pp, full colour, A4 paperback.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction: How to use this book

Abbreviations

Section 1: Illnesses and medical problems

1 ABCDE: assess a sick patient

2 CPR and defibrillators

3 Choking

4 Breathing problems

5 Shock (circulatory collapse)

6 Major bleeding (haemorrhage)

7 Chest pain

8 Anaphylaxis and allergy

9 Seizures (fits) and convulsions

10 Headache

11 Loss of consciousness

12 Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)

13 Diabetes

14 Sepsis and infectious diseases

15 Acute abdominal pain

16 Heat-related illnesses

17 Drowning

18 Hypothermia and cold injuries

19 Poisoning

20 Acute eye problems

21 Acute ear, nose and throat (ENT) problems

22 Acute dental problems

23 Back pain

24 Joint pain

25 Urinary tract and male genital problems

26 Sexually transmitted infections

27 Gynaecological problems

28 Menstruation, pregnancy, miscarriage and childbirth

29 Common skin problems

30 Seasickness

31 Mental health issues

32 Alcohol, tobacco and drug misuse

Section 2: Injuries and trauma

33 ABCDE: assess an injured patient

34 Head, face and eye injuries

35 Neck and spinal injuries

36 Chest injuries

37 Abdominal injuries

38 Pelvic and hip injuries

39 Injuries to bones, joints, muscles and other soft tissues

40 Wounds and bleeding

41 Burns

42 Bites and stings

Section 3: Additional information

43 Assessing and managing pain

44 Practical procedures

45 Communicating with TMAS, and documentation

46 Moving a sick or injured patient

47 Medical assessment ashore

48 Medical evacuation

49 Continuing care

50 Care of others on board

51 Death on board

52 Officer responsible for medical care

53 Health risks on board

54 Anatomy and physiology

55 The International Health Regulations

Section 4: Assessment forms and charts

Fluid balance chart

Medical assessment form

Medication chart

Observation chart

Index