What Medical Books Should I Keep on Board?
Medical Reference Books to Keep on Board
When it comes to sailing and cruising, there are quite a few books that are must-haves aboard any boat. Self-sufficiency and being able to problem solve when the internet is anything but reliable is key. So what’s the best solution? Fill up those book shelves! There are a ton of resources available online and I’m not saying that you will never be able to look anything up, but isn’t part of the cruising fun getting away from civilization and soaking up the peace and quiet of a secluded anchorage? What if something happens? Now, you are potentially miles from a good cell connection and, if you’re in a sailboat, miles equates to hours of travel at 5 or 6 knots. Having a book, whether e-book or a physical one, to refer to on-hand can be incredibly helpful in a pinch. (Personally, I think having an actual book would be easier to navigate in an emergent situation but that’s just me. If you love the space saving of e-books than you can totally go that route too.)
Mechanical and maintenance books aside, we’re going to focus on how to improve your medical library so you can feel more prepared if an illness takes hold or an injury happens. There is no way anyone can have a resource on board that covers every possible scenario – there aren’t even libraries out there that have it all – but I’m going to list a few you should consider having. It’s a good idea to peruse through your books ahead of time and make a few mental notes (or if you like post-it notes, go for it!) of different topics covered in each book. That way, when you need to refer back to them, you have a general idea of which book you should be reaching for.
I’ve listed a few below I recommend having on board. The topics covered will overlap in some of these suggestions so I wouldn’t say you need them all. Get what works for your family or situational needs.
Marine Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide, Adventure Medical Kits – By Eric A. Weiss and Michael Jacobs. Part of a two book series, Marine Medicine branches off from ‘Wilderness and Travel Medicine’ with a focus on marine first aid. It covers a variety of relevant topics like marine wildlife encounters, wound cleaning and when to evacuate for further medical help. It comes in a compact size, less than 6 inches tall, so it’s great for travel if you are going to be crew on another boat or for throwing a second copy in your ditch bag. The downside to such a compact book is the size of the text. It’s very small so keep that in mind if you have trouble reading fine print.
Where There is No Doctor: A Village Healthcare Handbook – by David Werner, Carol Thuman, and Jane Maxwell. “Useful for health workers, clinicians, and others involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs, with millions of copies in print in more than 75 languages, the manual provides practical, easily understood information on how to diagnose, treat, and prevent common diseases. Special attention is focused on nutrition, infection and disease prevention, and diagnostic techniques as primary ways to prevent and treat health problems.” I like this book for its focus on preventative measures. The best way to reduce illness and injury in the first place is prevention.
Your Offshore Doctor – by Dr. Michael H. Beilan. Read this one before you set sail! Newly revised in 2017, this book has a whole list of contents to help you prepare your medical kit depending on where you will be traveling. He offers step-by-step instructions on how to assess injuries and illness followed by treatment. Dr. Beilan is also a sailor and has recently completed a 10 year circumnavigation so he’s quite knowledgeable on the medical needs of cruisers.
The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook or AMA Family Medical Guide – Either of these handbooks are great to have whether on land or at sea. They cover numerous health conditions from newborns to the elderly and are written so that anyone can understand the medical terminology. Both are large manuals so do keep that in mind when thinking about storage.
Local guide books or online guide and government sites – This is not a medical reference at all but if you have any guide books on hand for where you are traveling check to see if they have a section on health and safety. Some will list the locations and numbers of medical centers or tell you who to contact in an emergency (you can’t just call 911 in countries outside the U.S.). I did a quick search of Frommer’s online for the Bahamas and under the health and safety tab they listed large cities with clinics and the phone number to the main Hospital in Nassau. You could always write this information down in case you need it at a later date.
As with anything medical related, the science of medicine and medication is always evolving. Do you need to have the most current editions of every single book on your shelf? No, But it’s a good habit to check the editions of your current books and update them with new versions if you have the ability to do that. We’re all on a budget here so breaking the bank on books is not the goal. Having a solid base for reference in an emergency situation is. It’s perfectly fine if you found a used older version of a book for sale online and want to buy that instead of a shiny new one to save some boat bucks. You just may be missing some newer medications or protocols that have changed since it was printed. I would suggest you take notice of the years since print or the number of editions back your used book is. Going too far back is a step in the wrong direction and you’ll definitely have a hard time trying to find things like Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. (Click the link if you want to learn about this medicine from the 1800’s. Keep in mind they gave this to babies – so wild!)
Here’s to hoping you never need to crack one of these books open. Happy sailing!
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