Health Resources and Links
International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT)
This 40-year old organization maintains a network of English-speaking physicians, hospitals and clinics around the world that treat travelers for a set reasonable fee. Membership is free, but a donation of $25 is appropriate.
The Ship's Captain Medical Guide Online Edition
"The Ship's Captain Medical Guide". This 22nd Edition is now on-line.
Seasickness:
Robert Bethume discusses causes and cures for seasickness.
Medical Kits for Cruisers
ToxiTec Inc. - Honolulu, Hawaii (808)531-3017
What Is Ciguatera? Ciguatera fish poison is a neurological toxin that can result in serious disease symptoms in cruisers who eat fish from nearshore tropical oceans. Ciguatoxin is produced by a microscopic dinoflagellate algae (Gambierdiscus toxicus) and passed up the food chain. This is a common problem among cruisers (who eats reef fishes) in the South Pacific & elsewhere. Toxi Tec sells a test kit for checking the fishes.Adventure Medical Kits - Oakland, CA. USA (800)324-3517
Outdoor Research, Inc. - Seattle, WA. USA (800)421-2421
Travel Medicine, Inc. -Northampton, MA. USA (800)872-8633
West Marine Products - Watsonville, CA. USA (800)538-0775
Medical Sea Pak Co. - Rochester, NY. USA (800)832-6054 / e-mail: firstaid@eznet.net
Chinook Medical Gear, Inc. - Boulder, CO. USA (800)766-1365
Mark Anderson's Medical Resources Online for the cruising sailors:
Riparia Cruising Medical Kit 2.1
Shoreland's Travel Health Online
Shoreland, Inc., a company that supports health professionals who counsel international travelers, has made this web site available to the public. Users will find detailed travel advisory information for travelers to 229 countries, arranged alphabetically. The information presented is drawn from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the US Department of State, as well as news, medical, and travel media. Users can also access a listing of travel medicine providers, as well as detailed, well organized information about general travel health concerns, preventive medications, and specific illnesses. Most of the information on this site is available from the agencies mentioned above, but Shoreland has gathered, organized, and cross-referenced it for ease of use and completeness.
Centers for Disease Control Travel Information Page.
Lots of reference materials for the world traveler such as health recommendations for specific geographical regions and notices of current disease outbreaks in the world. Check it out before you drink the local water.
Useful Health Books to Have On Board
Advanced
First Aid Afloat, Third Edition
Cornell Maritime Press, Centerville, Maryland
by Dr. Peter F. Eastman, M.D.
Where
There Is No Doctor: A village health
care handbook.
The Hesperian Foundation, Palo Alto, California
by David Werner
The
Boater's Medical Companion,
by Robert S. Gould, M.D
The
On-Board Medical Handbook: First Aid
and Emergency Medicine Afloat,
by Dr. Paul G. Gill, International Marine
A
Guide to Small Boat
Emergencies, Naval Institute
Press,
by John M. Waters.
Your
Offshore Doctor: A Manual of Medical
Self-Sufficiency at Sea,
by Dr. Michael H. Beilan.
The
Ship Captain's Medical Guide ,
21st edition,
British government document, HMSO: Department of Trade.
International Medical Guide for Ships (including the ship's medical chest) 2nd edition, from the World Health Organization.
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